My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Twilight Vs Twilight
by seniorcopycat
Summary: A year after the Battle of the Bands, high school graduation is nearing and the girls are ready to face the world, though Sunset Shimmer worries that they might drift apart. But when Twilight's human self arrives and ends up getting infected with dark magic, they must call upon Princess Twilight once more to engage in a battle that will decide the fate of their worlds.
1. Recap

**My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Twilight Vs Twilight**

**Recap: **Over a year ago, after noticing the presence of Equestrian Magic in the human world a group of Sirens called the Dazzling' used their power to spread hate and distrust all over Canterlot High School. Everyone was under their spell, except six girls named Sunset Shimmer, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy, called upon the Princess of Friendship AKA Twilight Sparkle to help them perform a musical counters spell to defeat them. They faced many obstacles but eventually, by working together they shattered the source of the Dazzling's power and forced them into exile. With that done, Twilight Sparkle returned to her world but left the portal open so she could come any time she wanted. However, unknown to them, their magical battles have begun to attract some … unwanted attention outside the school, attention like… Twilight Sparkle herself.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Yes, it is short, but this is just a recap page for those who have not seen the movie or have forgotten some parts. The next few chapters will be longer, or at least I'll try to. <strong>Plus this is what I believe the next movie could or rather should be.<strong>**


	2. Human Twilight

**Chapter 2**

As a single bulb from old light hanging from above continued to flicker and dim on and off again, a single girl, who had just graduated from her own high school not to long ago, kept walking back and forth between one point and other. First she goes over with something in her hand like a picture or a piece of red string or a long piece of black tope then after a while she walks back to get something else.

While this happened, a little puppy purple and green puppy dog with a spiked collar continued to eat from his blue doggy bowl, occasionally glancing up at his very busy owner with a curious look in his eye as she continued to work on her little project.

The project in question was a large board with dozens and dozens of pictures, calculations, samples, statistics and other science and math related items each pinned and connected to a red string in a giant web and they all connected to one thing in particular; a picture of Canterlot High. Many of the pictures include a shining rainbow, a ray of light and a sky alicorn shining above the school.

The girl stepped back, adjusted her glasses and stared at the board thoughtfully. She had purple skin, indigo hair with a pink streak in the form of a bun and a pencil sticking out of it. She wore large black glasses, a white lab coat and a light blue shirt with gray pants and black and white shoes.

"Hmm… over a year and I_ still_ can't figure out what's going on over at that school…" The human version of Princess Twilight Sparkle muttered. She then called on her dog, Spike. "Spike, fetch me the latest seismograph sheet, now!"

Spike the dog barked and somehow knew just what to pull out of a machine nearby. He ran back over to and she took the piece of paper out of his mouth and smiled.

"Good boy!" she said as she petted him and he wagged his tail happily. She then gazed at the seismograph sheet. "Hmm, same as yesterday… but still can't shake this weird feeling I've had ever since the first time this happened."

She then glanced at the board and the web of red strings connected to the picture of the school and began to ponder and ponder.

"The way I see it, there's a less than twelve percent chance that another strange event like the one that happened over a year ago and the one that happened six months before that will happen again." Human Twilight deduced. "Not to mention the fact that twice is usually just a coincidence…"

Her dog Spike barked at her. She knew he couldn't really talk but acting like he did made her feel less alone then she already did at the moment.

"Yes Spike, I know it's better than eleven percent but that really doesn't have anything to do with anything." Human Twilight reasoned. Spike's ears drooped and he whined sadly. "I need to find out just what kind of strange events are going on over there… but how? Think… Twilight think…"

She then heard a beeping noise and turned to her technological components and computers which were currently beeping and flashing a bit. She walked over and sat down in front of the main computer.

"Hmm, maybe the computer has some answers." Twilight muttered as she typed something up on it. It beeped. "Ah, finally! Hopefully now I can get some results."

Human Twilight continued to rapidly type a number of sequences into the computer and looked at the screen eagerly until she was surprised once something odd popped up on it. She was baffled, nothing like this had ever happened to her before.

"Hmm, this doesn't make any sense… I can't seem to lock onto the vibrational frequency of this particular energy signature…" The Human Twilight mused, completely dumbfounded. "This doesn't make any sense…"

Spike walked over and barked at her, trying to communicate and she seemed to understand him somehow.

"Yeah, I know these are strange events for a reason and they seem unexplainable but _everything_ can be explained." Human Twilight reasoned. "Don't think I won't find the reason, because I will…"

Twilight walked back to her desk where a ton of papers and books were stacked together on top of it. She sighed, feeling exhausted. She looked at one of the papers then read through a certain book. Native Twilight flipped through all the pages, before growled in agitation before knocking away all papers and books angrily

"Ugh! This doesn't make sense!" Native Twilight exclaimed, frustrated as all the papers and books rained down around and fell on the ground. Spike looked at her worried while she puts her hands on her head. "Events like this don't just happen for no reason, and they're _has_ to be one! I know it!"

Twilight then turned her attention to pictures of five certain girls named Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. She walked over to the pictures, placed a hand near them and looked at them all closely, with narrowed eyes.

"And these girls… these girls are _special_ for some reason." Twilight's Human Self stated, gazing at the pictures of the six of them. "But _why_ are they special?"

The alternate Twilight began to think for a while, she gazed at the pictures on her wall of stings connected to Canterlot High, the five girls and all the data she had collected so far. She knew she could only learn so much cooped up in her home with just Spike and in order to learn more about the strange occurrences, she had to go to the source.

"Looks like the only way I'm gonna find some answers is if I go there myself!" Human Twilight declared while her dog Spike barked. "Just need to gather a few things…"

Twilight quickly gathered some equipment, such as a scanner, a calculator, some papers, rulers pencils and other complicated looking items. She stood proudly with all her tools which seemed almost too much for her to carry on her own.

"Ok! I'm all set! So look out world because Twilight Sparkle is coming at ya!" she declared as she started to run off out of the house only to trip and crash loudly, dropping all her stuff. "I'm ok!"

Spike groaned, dismayed.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Author's Note: This chapter uses bits of inspiration and references from various forms of media that I like, admire and honor but I do not own them. This is not for profit, it is merely for fun. No flames please and thank you.<strong>**


	3. Plans and Encounters

**Chapter 3**

Speaking of the strange school, the next day kids were already flocking to their home away from home; Canterlot High.

A lot have amazing events have happened at this school, just as Human Twilight said, most of which the students keep to themselves but they will never forget them. First a pony Princess from another world dethroned the head mean girl who also turned into a crazy she-demon and then three brain beautiful but evil girls brain washed them into hating and battling them. Only to be stopped by Princess Twilight, her friends and the now reformed Sunset Shimmer, whom everyone had begun to accept and befriend at long last.

With the Fall Formal now over as well as the High School Musical Showcase turned Battle of the Bands, the students, as well as the faculty, now had a new thing to look forward to; the last day of school. Plus it was graduation day for many students, including the Rainboom's, who all kept their band together as well as their name long after the battle of the bands ended.

Also, after the battle the Dazzlings disappeared and haven't been heard from since, not that anyone cared. They were all too busy dealing with their upcoming graduation, the Rainboom's especially.

At the moment, the girls were making their way down the hall toward the foyer. The bell was about to ring for them to be dismissed and they wanted to be the first ones out.

"Ah, graduation day… what a marvelous occasion, is it not?" Rarity asked, smiling.

"Yeah, can't believe it's only a week away!" Applejack expressed, amazed.

"I'll say, feels like only yesterday we were walking through those front doors as dumb freshman." Rainbow Dash remarked.

"And now were soon-to-be graduates." Fluttershy finished, satisfied.

"I know, isn't it exciting!?" Pinkie Pie squealed. She then turned to Sunset. "Don't you agree, Sunset Shimmer?"

"Yeah… it is pretty exciting…" she admitted. "Never thought it would happen, really."

"Well it is and I already got a super awesome idea for what I'm gonna do when they call my name and hand me my diploma!" Rainbow Dash proclaimed.

"Yeah? What's that?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"Yeah, tell us! Tell us!" Pinkie Pie agreed

Well, _I_ graduate, I'm starting my own soccer academy, get kids more interested in sports, you know?" Rainbow Dash said as he bounced the ball on her knee.

"Sounds good, I'm mostly gonna be doing more work on my family's farm." Applejack said. "Can't let all those traditions go waste, now can I?"

"No you cannot my dear Applejack, and while I will continue to work at the boutique, I will also be planning on entering the fashion world by becoming a world famous designer!" Rarity declared, dramatically. "Just as soon as a finish fashion school that is."

"I'm gonna become a full time party planner when _I_ graduate!" Pinkie Pie said as she blew a noisemaker. "What about you Fluttershy?"

"Oh… I'm just gonna do more volunteer work at the animal shelter and do more to help animals everywhere, maybe even come a veterinarian." Fluttershy smiled.

"That sounds great, Fluttershy." Sunset Shimmer smiled. "You'd be great at that job."

"Aw, thank you." Fluttershy said, touched. "So what about you?"

"Huh?" Sunset asked, not catching that.

"What are _you_ gonna do after graduation?" Fluttershy inquired.

Sunset Shimmer's eyes darted around, unsure. "Oh! Uh… Uh… I…"

"You do have a plan for when you graduate don't you?" Rainbow asked. The others also looked at her curiously.

"Well… the thought actually never really crossed my mind until now…" Sunset admitted. "When I came here, all I cared about was becoming popular and gaining more power. It might not have been very nice but as we all know I wasn't exactly a good person back then…"

"But you've changed." Fluttershy reminded her.

"Yeah, you've totally turned yourself around since then." Applejack added. "And everyone at Canterlot High have finally accepted you."

Sunset smiled at this. "Yeah… thanks to you guys… and Princess Twilight," she added, thoughtfully.

"Speaking of which, have you heard from her?" Applejack asked, curiously.

"Yeah, she says she's doing well." Sunset Shimmer replied. "Course part of me is a _little_ jealous that she has her own castle and title…"

"I feel your pain, darling." Rarity told her, sympathetically.

"Well… maybe your version of Principal Celestia will take you back when you finally decide to go back." Rainbow Dash suggested.

Sunset looked very surprised. "When I… go back?"

"Yeah, isn't _that_ your plan after you've graduate?" she asked. "I mean you've already learned all you can about friendship from us and were all going to different places soon plus this isn't _really_ your home so…"

"Rainbow!" Applejack snapped.

"What? I'm just asking what…" Rainbow began before the others gestured to Sunset's hurt face. "Oh… Sunset Shimmer I'm really…"

And with that, Sunset Shimmer suddenly ran off down the hall, seemingly in tears.

"Sunset Shimmer! Wait!" Fluttershy yelled as she ran after her, while the others watched them go and Rainbow looked down feeling guilty.

* * *

><p>Sunset Shimmer eventually reached the school foyer with tears still going down her cheeks and Fluttershy close behind.<p>

"Wait! Please stop!" Fluttershy called out as she finally reached her friend, who had just stopped walking in front of a wall and placed her hand on it, looking depressed. "Sunset Shimmer… you know Rainbow Dash didn't really mean that, right? We all love having you here and…"

"Relax, I know she didn't it's just…" Sunset began.

"Just what?" Fluttershy inquired, curiously.

There was a long moment of silence between the two as Sunset Shimmer turned around, sighed, and glanced away with a sad look on her face.

"Sunset Shimmer?" The shy spoke up, worried.

The former bad girl then spoke. "Yes, Fluttershy?"

"What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked, concerned. "You look very distressed…"

Sunset Shimmer sighed again. "Nothing… I'm just… worried, that's all."

"About what?" Fluttershy inquired, stepping forward.

"Well… it's taken me so long to gain your and everybody else's trust her at CHS and now that we're finally graduating… I fear we might drift apart once we begin our individual dreams…" Sunset confessed, sadly. "I mean with Rarity being in fashion school, Applejack working on the farm, Pinkie planning parties, Rainbow Dash setting up soccer camps, you being a vet and me doing… whatever… we pretty much won't see each other anymore…"

Shimmer presses her forehead against the wall, sadly. Fluttershy frowned as she approached her. "Oh, don't worry Sunset Shimmer… we're not going to drift apart," she assured her. "We're friends and we'll always be friends, even if we super far apart."

This seemed to comfort Sunset a bit. "Thanks, Fluttershy," she said. "By the way… I know I said this before but… sorry about the things I said to you before Twilight showed up that day… I was wrong, you're the furthest thing from pathetic." Sunset Shimmer told her.

Fluttershy smiled, touched by her words. "Aw, thank you Sunset Shimmer," she expressed. "I'm glad we're friends."

"Same here." Shimmer nodded, thankfully. "Now all I have to do is think of a plan of my own…"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something." Fluttershy assured her. "After all, you're just as smart as Princess Twilight."

"You really think so?" Sunset asked.

Fluttershy nodded. "Absolutely."

Sunset Shimmer smiled, touched. "Thanks, Fluttershy, that means a lot."

"Anytime." Fluttershy smiled back. Just then the bell rang. "Oh! The bell!"

"Yep, well gotta run, I promised myself I'd write to Twilight after school." Sunset told her. "I'll catch up with you soon."

"Ok, bye!" Fluttershy waved.

Sunset waved back and quickly began to head out the door, but before she did she noticed Fluttershy going out a different door, further increasing her hidden fear of them drifting apart. She sighed and then left.

* * *

><p>Sometime later, Sunset Shimmer was sitting beside the wall of the pony statue that acted as a portal to Equestria and the human world, which was currently closed. At the moment, she was writing in the journal Princess Celestia gave her which would automatically be sent to Twilight in Equestria.<p>

"Dear Princess Twilight, things are still pretty good here at Canterlot High, graduation is even a week away. My only concern is that after we graduate, me and the rest of our Canterlot High friends might drift apart. Fluttershy has assured me that we won't, but I still can't help but worry. Wish you were here, your friend Sunset Shimmer." The red and yellow haired girl wrote. Just then she heard a familiar voice grunting nearby and stood up. "What was that?"

Sunset then saw that the voice was coming from a large crowd of people on the other side of the street and began to slowly make her way over to it.

Close by on the other side of the busy street, the scientist-like human version of Princess Twilight Sparkle hurried down the crowded sidewalk carrying an armful of equipment and rolled up papers with a look of someone constantly distracted from what was in front of her. She was still trying to get to Canterlot High to investigate, but the sidewalk was jammed full of people who kept bumping in her constantly. "Excuse me." Twilight uttered to a man. "Excuse me," she said again, after being jostled by another person. "How… ow! Hey! Person here!" Another busy commuter bumped into Twilight's arms, knocking some of her stuff loose.

"Hey!" Human Twilight exclaimed, reaching down into the street to grab her equipment while she could. She then grumbled angrily. "Lousy, no good, rotten, troglodytes… my life's work…"

Sunset continued to make her way through the crowd until she could see the other side of the street where, much to her shock, she saw someone that looked a lot like Princess Twilight who was still grumbling and picking up all her fallen items laying on street outside the sidewalk. Sunset looked again just to make sure she wasn't seeing thing, but it was true. That was indeed Twilight.

"Twilight…?" Sunset Shimmer breathed, stunned.

Sunset began to approach Twilight's human self, still in shock when she noticed something coming.

The human version of Twilight was so focused on trying to get to her work that she hadn't heard the speeding car tearing down the street. She turned just in time to see the car coming straight towards her. Human Twilight's eyes widened with fear.

Fortunately for her, Sunset Shimmer _had_ seen all this and after she managed to run over to her, she was able to grab the human version of Twilight before the car could hit her and pull her out of the way and back onto the sidewalk.

"You ok?" Sunset asked.

"I… I think so…" Human Twilight breathed, shaken. "Thank you…"

"That sure was a close one, huh Twilight?" Sunset remarked.

"You… do you know me?" Human Twilight asked, confused. She was a scientific shut-in. She had always felt that no one knew her name. The fact that Sunset Shimmer, who was a complete stranger to her, also made her very suspicious. "How do you know my name?"

Sunset Shimmer's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. How was she gonna explain that? She had only met the Equestria version of Twilight and not the human version, and explaining something like that could present a problem. "Uh… she began before she noticed the stuff she was carrying and pointed to them. "Oh, those look important."

"They-they are. You see… weird stuff has been happening lately and I have some ideas… I mean some thoughts, some notions about… what they could be," she ratted off quickly, clearly eager to prove herself. "Anyway, that still doesn't answer my question about how you even know me."

Sunset scratched the back of her head and glanced away, nervously. "Well… let's see… it's really kind of complicated…" she began, though the Human Twilight didn't seem to notice much due to her muttering to herself quietly.

"Nobody knows my name, I'm… I'm a nobody…" Twilight's human counterpart said, shamefully.

Sunset looked surprised by this revelation. "What? You're not a nobody, why would you think that…?" she began.

"I don't know… I guess I've never been that good at connecting with people…" Twilight's human self shrugged. "That's why I'm better off alone."

"Hey, _no one_ should be alone, not even you, _especially_ not you." Sunset Shimmer told her, firmly.

"What do you mean? And why do you care so much about a total stranger?" The human Twilight asked, confused by her strong feelings against her being alone.

"Uh… let's just say… you remind me of someone I know." Sunset told her. "A friend."

"Really?" Human Twilight asked, surprised as she adjusted her glasses. "Very interesting."

"Yep, you're just like her…" Sunset Shimmer remarked.

"Hmm, I'd like to meet this person someday." Human Twilight said.

"You don't say…" Sunset muttered to herself.

"What was that?" Twilight asked.

"Nothing! Well then, I'll… see you around…" Sunset Shimmer said as she backed away, and just like that she was gone.

Human Twilight watched her go for a moment, then noticed that something was missing from her collection of items.

"Hey! Someone stole my calculator!" Twilight cried but no one paid attention. She sighed. "Guess I'll have to come back tomorrow with a new one, but isn't over! Not by a long shot!"

As the human version of Twilight made her way back home to gather some more supplies, and a new calculator, Sunset Shimmer couldn't help but look back with a face full of worry and concern as she watched the other version of her friend from Equestria walk off in the crowd before leaving as well.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Author's Note: This chapter uses bits of inspiration and references from various forms of media that I like, admire and honor but I do not own them. This is not for profit, it is merely for fun. No flames please and thank you.<strong>**


	4. Magic and Science

**Chapter 4**

The very next day, back at Canterlot High, Sunset Shimmer had just arrived at the school. Seeing that her friends weren't there yet she decided to wait in front of the horse statue out front, which also acted as the portal between Equestria and the human world. Princess Twilight had it closed at the moment, but Sunset Shimmer still stood in front of it and sighed as she placed her hand on the front.

"Maybe I should go back their someday… I don't know… I know I don't belong here but… I can't leave my friends behind…" Sunset muttered to herself. She sighed. "I wish you were here Twilight…"

Sunset was so busy muttering to herself that she failed to notice that her wish had practically been granted, again. For the human version of Twilight had just arrived at the school and after watching Sunset Shimmer mutter in front of a statue curiously. She decided to make herself known.

"Hey you! Over here!" Human Twilight called out as she ran over to her. The mentioned girl turned and was surprised to see the human version of Twilight again.

"Twilight? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I told you; to find out what's _really_ going on at this school." Human Twilight stated. "And that's what I'm gonna do. Will you help me out?"

"W-Well I…" Sunset Shimmer began.

"Oh, wait, that reminds me, I never got your name." Human Twilight pointed out.

"Sunset Shimmer. Uh… my name is Sunset Shimmer." The fiery haired girl replied as she shook hands with Twilight's human self.

"Very nice to meet you." Human Twilight said, quickly. "Now, do you mind answering some questions for me?"

"Questions?" Sunset repeated, a little nervously.

"Yes, like where were you the nights that these strange events were occurring?" Human Twilight asked her, curiously.

"Oh well… I don't really know what kind of 'strange events' you mean by so…" Sunset Shimmer began.

"Well for starters the tower of light and the rainbow I saw one night during the fall a year and a half ago…" Native Twilight began. Sunset Shimmer's eyes widened when she realized she was referring to the Fall Formal. "And the unknown abnormality that looked like a winged unicorn in the sky which appeared over a year ago… do you know anything about those events? Anything at all?"

Sunset Shimmer struggled to figure out a way to answer the alternate Twilight's question without sounding completely crazy or jeopardizing the safety of Equestria, which was hard considering the other Twilight continued to stare at her, like she was seeing right through her.

"Uh…" Sunset started to say before she noticed her five friends walking over. She then saw their eyes widen with joy when they saw who was with her, believing to be their dear friend from Equestria and not knowing it was just her human self.

"TWILIGHT!" The girls all squealed happily as they raced over to them both.

"Huh?" Human Twilight asked, confused before they quickly embraced her in a group hug, confusing her more.

"Oh! We missed you so much!" Pinkie squealed.

"I can't believe your back!" Fluttershy said, relieved.

"Ooh, it's so good to see you!" Rarity expressed, happily. "You have so much catching up to do."

"Yeah, I'll say!" Applejack agreed.

"So what's new Princess?" Rainbow Dash asked, eagerly.

Twilight struggled a bit before she managed to push them all back. "Hey, get away from me!" she yelled, alarmed.

They were all surprised and taken aback by the sudden shove and stared at her hurt. Sunset Shimmer looked to her with a worried expression when she saw the alternate Twilight shove alternate version of her closest friends away.

Pinkie's cotton candy like went straight as she looked at the other Twilight in confusion.

"Twilight…?" Pinkie Pie said, slowly.

"Twi? What's wrong? Don't you recognize us?" Applejack asked, confused.

"Oh, I know who _you girls are_, but you don't know who _I_ am." Human Twilight stated. "Now I don't know how you got my name and remembered it, but it doesn't matter, I'll find you what your all hiding soon enough, just you wait!"

"Uh… what are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused.

"You know what I'm talking about!" Twilight said, accusingly.

"But you…" Rarity began before Sunset Shimmer pulled her and the other close and whispered to them

"Guys, that's not the same Twilight we know, it's just the version of her from _this world_ and she can't know anything about Equestria _or _Princess Twilight, ok? It would just complicate things." Sunset explained to them quietly. "So _please_, don't tell her."

"Oh!" They all said, understandingly while the Human Twilight approached them.

"Uh… excuse me? I don't mean to interrupt but I came here from answers and I want them _now_."

"What kind of answers we got plenty!" Pinkie Pie said, pulling out a hat and revealing a large amount of paper slips with the words 'answers' written on them.

Native Twilight shoved the hat away. "I mean what happened during these following nights!" she said as she held up a piece of paper with two dates on it. They all looked at them, closely.

"Hey… that's the day of the Fall Formal!" Applejack realized.

"Your right!" Fluttershy confirmed.

"And the other one's the night of the Battle of the Bands!" Rainbow Dash added.

"So you _were_ present during those nights." Native Twilight deduced.

"Of course we were!" Rainbow Dash stated.

"Yeah! We were the ones that…" Pinkie began before Applejack covered her mouth.

"That were… partying the night away, yeah, that's it…" Applejack said, trying and failing to lie, which was obvious due to the guilty grin on her face.

"You're not that good a liar, are you?" Alternate Twilight guessed.

Applejack lowered her head, defeated. "Nope…"

"Just tell me what I want to know." The human Twilight asked, annoyed.

"Um… um…" Fluttershy muttered, quietly, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry what was that?" Human Twilight asked. "Speak up!"

This made Fluttershy flinch with fear and prompted Rarity to stand in front of her, displeased.

"Manners darling, can't you see she doesn't _like_ being interrogated like a criminal like the rest of us?" Rarity criticized. "Have you no empathy for others?"

Human Twilight and Rarity glared at each other for a bit, which made some of the others nervous before the other Twilight finally spoke up.

"Look, I _really_ don't have time for this now, so if you'll excuse me I got some more researching to do. But I _will_ be back, we're not done." Alternate Twilight Sparkle said, dismissively and sternly. before walking away from them. They all watched her go, hurt and confused.

"Well _that_ was rude." Rarity remarked, insulted.

"Yeah, what's _her_ deal?" Rainbow agreed.

"Guys, remember; that's not the same Twilight you know… just someone who _looks_ like her." Sunset Shimmer reminded them.

"She did seem more serious than the other Twilight…" Fluttershy pointed out. "And just by looking at her I could feel… _anger_ flowing off her in waves… it was very scary…"

"Maybe she just needs a makeover? That _always_ cheers me right up." Rarity stated. "Besides, have you _seen_ her?"

"Rarity, what will it take for you to _not_ care about how everybody looks? Including yours?" Applejack asked her, plainly.

Rarity thought for a bit. "Hmm, I honestly do not know…"

Applejack just face palmed in dismay and groaned.

"I… don't think she needs a makeover Rarity…" Sunset told her.

"Yes… she needs something more than that…" Fluttershy agreed, glancing toward the direction the other Twilight went. "She needs a _friend_."

"Yeah, even if she isn't _our_ Twilight, that doesn't mean we can't try to befriend her!" Applejack pointed out.

"That's right!" Pinkie Pie nodded, determined.

"We just need to show her how important friendship really is." Rainbow Dash said.

"I agree, and from what I can tell… she could use a few friends…" Sunset Shimmer remarked, grimly.

"That's for certain." Applejack concurred. Everyone else nodded as well.

"So what are we waiting for? We got some befriending to do!" Rainbow declared, all ready to go before Sunset stopped her.

"Maybe _I_ should go talk to her, she knows me a little better plus she's looking for answers to explain what happened during the Fall Formal and the Battle of the Bands." Sunset reasoned. "If she sees you girls again she'll immediately start asking us questions that we can't answer."

The girls all began to see her point then nod and agreed one by one.

"Well good luck, sugarcube." Applejack told her. "Let us how it went. We'll meet back at Pinkie's place."

"Ok, thanks girls, wish me luck." Sunset said as she started to follow the other Twilight.

"Good luck!" They all said as she began to walk off before Rainbow spoke up.

"Sunset Shimmer?" she said, the fiery haired girl turned to her. "Listen… sorry about before… you know about you having to leave after graduation? We really are glad you're one of us."

Sunset Shimmer smiled, touched and resumed walking to hopefully try, key word; try, to befriend the alternate counterpart of her friend, and practically her mentor, Twilight Sparkle.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, the alternate version of Twilight was standing around the school soccer field, where here Equestrian counterpart played against Rainbow Dash and lost, and was taking soil currently taking soil samples when Sunset Shimmer approached her from behind.<p>

"Hey, Twilight," she said. The other Twilight jumped and turned to see Sunset Shimmer behind her.

"Oh, it's you again." Human Twilight said.

"Uh… hey again." Sunset waved, nervously.

"What do you want?" Twilight's human self questioned.

"I… wanted to talk to you." Sunset Shimmer said, slowly.

"Really? You want to talk to… _me_?" Alternate Twilight asked, baffled.

"Yeah, why not?" Sunset asked. "Thought it be a good chance for us to… get to know each other a little better"

"Well… there's not much to tell about me really…" Human Twilight shrugged. "I just like science, books and research."

"That's sounds cool." Sunset admitted.

"Really?" Native Twilight asked, genuinely surprised as she adjusted her glasses.

"Yeah, and I'm sure many other people would find what you're working on cool as well if you just open up a little and show them." Sunset Shimmer told her.

"I guess so…" The alternate Twilight admitted, glancing away shamefully.

"Hey, maybe you could show _me_." Sunset offered.

"Really?" The other Twilight asked, even more surprised than she was before. "You want to see my lab?"

Sunset Shimmer shrugged with a smile. "Sure, why not?"

"Then meet me here right after school and I'll show you where I live!" Human Twilight said, eagerly. "Oh! This is so exciting! A real person in my lab! I haven't had _that_ happen since… forever really."

"Well… you can't say that anymore." Sunset said, softly as she put her arm around the alternate Twilight, which surprised her a bit but she slowly accepted it as she walked off with Sunset Shimmer.

* * *

><p>Later, right after school just like the other Twilight told her, Sunset Shimmer met the Alternate Twilight on the soccer field and soon enough followed her back to her home. The human version of Twilight struggled with a door a bit but eventually opened and stepped into her work room, which was still as cluttered and full of scientific equipment as ever, as Sunset saw for herself.<p>

"Well, here we are." Alternate Twilight said. "It's not much I know… but it's home."

"Nice place…" Sunset Shimmer observed.

"Yeah… and don't worry about making a mess, I'm mostly on my own now." Human Twilight said as she neatly sorted some notes.

"What about your family?" Sunset Shimmer asked, confused and curious,

"My 'family' is mainly just me and my big brother most of the time." The human version of Twilight said as she sat down at her computer and typed some stuff in while also picking up and looking at a dusty old photo that showed the human versions of Twilight's parents, Shining Armor and a younger version of the alternate Twilight. "My Mom and Dad are away a lot and my brother is usually hanging out with his new girlfriend…"

"I'm sorry…" Sunset said, apologetically as she glanced down sadly.

"Yeah… I have a feeling they'll get married someday too… leaving me all my own. Which is fine… I'm always alone." Native Twilight said, depressed. "Nobody around here even knows my _name_ or… they can't remember it anyway. But I'll get their attention soon…"

Sunset looked at her worried, then noticed the board with all the stings and pictures attached to it, saw that they were all connected to Canterlot High and approached it with wide eyes. "Whoa… what _is_ this?"

"Oh those are all the things connected to Canterlot High and as you can see the web has… expanded since the first and second incident." Twilight's human self told Sunset.

"I'll say…" she agreed, while looking around. She then noticed all the clutter on the ground. "Forgot to organize?"

"Yeah… I don't get out much…" Human Twilight admitted. "Or talk to many people."

"Sounds like you've had it pretty rough, huh?" Sunset said, sympathetically.

"It's ok, you get used to it over time." The other Twilight said, because she was turned away Sunset Shimmer didn't notice the alternate Twilight struggling to keep herself awake. It seemed that all those late night were taking a toll on her body greatly.

Just then Sunset heard a barking noise and saw Puppy Spike entering the room, barking and wagging his tail. While she knew very well that he was an alternate version of the baby dragon from Equestria, she pretended not to know how to keep things from being complicated.

"Ooh, whose this?" she asked, interested.

"Oh, that's Spike, my dog." Human Twilight said.

Sunset smiled and bent down to his level. "Come here, little guy," she urged. Puppy Spike came over to her and wagged his tail as she petted him. "Aw, how cute!"

The alternate Twilight turned away from her work and saw Sunset happily playing with her dog Spike and rubbing his bell as well. She smiled at this.

"He sure seems to like you." The human version of Twilight remarked.

"I kind of have a thing for small animals, picked it up from a friend of mine." Sunset Shimmer said.

"A friend?" Alternate Twilight repeated.

"Yeah, I have five of them actually." Sunset Shimmer admitted.

"You mean those five girls from before?" Twilight asked, suspiciously.

"That's them." Sunset Shimmer confirmed.

"So they must have told you a bit about what happened during those nights right?" Human Twilight asked, eagerly.

"Well… a _bit_ but I…" Sunset Shimmer tried to say.

"Please! Tell me what you know!" Twilight begged.

"Twilight, it's not that easy, and I don't think you can just demand answers from them." Sunset Shimmer told her. "And I can't tell you they're secrets just like that."

"And why not?" Native Twilight asked, frowning.

"Because they are my _friends_… I've worked so hard to gain they're trust _and_ they're friendship, if I break it _now_… I'll never forgive myself." Sunset Shimmer said.

"Well to me, friendship is a distraction. Plus I have much more important things to do then socialize." Twilight alternate counterpart stated, somewhat snobbishly.

"I used to think that too, but then I learned how important it was." Sunset Shimmer said with a smile. "And you know… I kinda like to think it gives people hope."

"Yeah? For what?" Native Twilight inquired.

"That eventually… everything's gonna be alright, so long as you have your friends by your side." Sunset Shimmer mused.

"Yes, well… I really wish I had time for that." Human Twilight admitted. "Plus one friend is more than enough for me. Isn't that right Spike?"

Puppy Spike barked in response.

"Well… my friend Pinkie Pie always tells me that you can never have too many friends." Sunset Shimmer told her, smiling. "Maybe _we_ could be…"

Sunset then noticed pictures of the others on her board and all kinds of information on them, including where they live and everything.

"Where did you get all this?" she asked.

"I do my homework… a lot actually." Human Twilight admitted.

"But why?" Sunset Shimmer asked, turning to her.

"Because they _know_ about the events, they were there, _that_ makes them worthy investigating." Native Twilight reasoned. "It's the only way to get answers."

"Twilight…" Sunset started to say.

"Please, we can help each other, Sunset Shimmer." Human Twilight offered, calmly yet pleadingly. "We _literally_ can change the world, all I need is information. Please… just say yes."

Sunset Shimmer then started to become a bit uncomfortable due to the strange vibes she was getting from the alternate Twilight and how she was becoming more manic with every word and backed away a bit.

"Uh… maybe I should go…" Sunset began as she started to leave only to be aggressively grabbed by the arm by Human Twilight.

"Don't turn your back on me!" Human Twilight growled, much to Sunset Shimmer's surprise. Her voice then started breaking. "Please Sunset Shimmer, this is my one chance… if I can figure this out people will _finally_ notice me! I won't be invisible anymore! I'll be respected by all! Please!"

"Look, Twilight, I know you want answers but poking around something like this won't do you any good." Sunset Shimmer warned her. "It could get you into trouble."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." Human Twilight stated, passionately. "After all, I _am_ a girl of science."

"But why?" Sunset inquired.

"If I can find the source of this energy, I'll be famous! It could be a new source of energy for the city, perhaps even the world!" Alternate Twilight said, excitedly as she looked through all her papers pinned on the board and her bubbling test tubes.

"So you want to find whatever caused these… strange lights and make them a source of energy?" Sunset asked, trying to understand what she was planning to do.

"All in the interests of science of course." The other Twilight added. "Plus people will notice me!"

"But… what if what caused them doesn't exactly have a clear answer? What if it isn't science?" Sunset Shimmer inquired.

"Whatever it is I'll figure it out, with science, after all science is the key to everything." The bespectacled Twilight said, confidently.

Sunset glanced away, wondering if she should explain to Twilight what those events really were. She knew this version of Twilight would think that she was crazy, but since Applejack always told her to be honest she decided to reveal a bit about the truth and work her way up. "Well… actually Twilight I don't think those strange lights were caused by anything… scientific at all," she said. Human Twilight turned to her.

"Then what caused them then?" The human version of Twilight asked her, curiously.

"Would you… believe me if I said it was magic?" Sunset asked, smiling sheepishly. Native Twilight just stared at her blankly.

"You're kidding," she responded, deadpan.

"No… actually I'm serious." Sunset Shimmer admitted.

"Need I remind you Sunset Shimmer that in primitive cultures _fire_ was once considered magical as well." Native Twilight stated. "Today it's all just a bunch of cheap parlor tricks."

"But what about those… 'strange events' you talked about?" Sunset Shimmer pointed out. "I mean… I wasn't really there but… they sure seemed magical to _me_."

"That's _science_." Human Twilight insisted. "I don't know _how_, but it is. _Everything_ can be explained by science."

"But Twilight…" Sunset Shimmer began.

"I told you; there's no such thing as magic!" Human Twilight snapped. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

Twilight then walked right past Sunset Shimmer and towards the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To the spot where I saw the giant winged unicorn shaped anomaly and _nothing_ is gonna stop me." Native Twilight stated, sounding determined before she left, leaving Sunset Shimmer alone with Puppy Spike who whined sadly while Sunset picked him and petted him gently with a sad expression of her own, for it seemed that the magic of friendship wouldn't work on this version of Twilight… but something else will.


	5. The Party

**Chapter 5**

Later that evening, Human Twilight was currently investigating the area where the Rainboom's battled the Dazzlings during the battle of the bands looking for anything that might have caused the strange lights and the alicorn shaped anomaly in the sky but so far she couldn't find anything.

"There's gotta be _something_ informative around here." The other Twilight muttered as she wiped the floor of the stage with a special cloth. "I've already checked the basement and the back of this place. Still no sign of any special technology that could have been used to create those strange and _non-magical_ events anywhere… but I'll find it. I _have _to."

She then paused with wide-eyes and her face fell. "And I suppose I'll just keep talking to myself out here because _that_ makes sense," she commented, deadpan.

Just then something odd caught her eye. Something red and sparkling. She then moved closer toward and soon found herself looking down at a piece of a broken red gemstone near the front of the stage. She picked it up.

"What's this thing?" Human Twilight wondered, as she inspected the broken piece of the red pendent. She narrowed her eyes at it, unable to determined what it was. "This calls for further analysis. To the lab!"

Twilight then began running off before suddenly tripping again.

"I'm ok!" she called out to no one in particular before finally getting back up and leaving again with the gem. Little did she know that it once belonged to a certain group, a group called… The Dazzlings.

* * *

><p>Later, Twilight arrived back in her lab with the pendant and began to get to work on learning more about it, regardless of the potential consequences. Puppy Spike watched as she ran back and forth, bring in some more supplies to inspect the strange object and he looked worried for some reason. Eventually, Twilight's human self had several machines, magnifying glasses and other high-tech devices surrounding it while she herself sat in front of it with two little picks in her hands, ready to try and crack it up more.<p>

"Alright… time to find out what makes you tic." Human Twilight said as she prepared to experiment on the pendent fragment. Spike whined with worry and barked a bit, she turned to him. "Don't worry Spike, I know what I'm doing."

Spike continued to bark at her, which annoyed Twilight greatly.

"Spike! Knock it off! I _am_ being careful!" she insisted. "Now get! And leave your master to her work, please."

Spike whimpered and walked away sadly, leaving Twilight to try and inspect the fragment again.

"And… now," she said before finally tapping the piece and causing it to crack up.

The instant she cracked the pendent even more dark energies were suddenly released from it, creating harsh winds that blew away everything and caused several the machines to spark and break down and spark. Twilight screamed while Spike yelped and hid under something, shaking like a leaf.

As the dark energies continued to swirl out uncontrollably the overload of negative energy hit the human version of Twilight right in the chest and surged through her body, causing her to shriek as it practically electrocuted body, shattered her glasses and unraveled her hair as well as ripped apart most of her clothing. It was enough power to kill a person, but the dark magical energy from Equestria did _more_ to Twilight. It slowly began to change the color of her skin, hair and eyes and when that did was done all the machines exploded immediately, releasing a shower of sparks while Twilight's body dropped to the ground, now encased in a giant black cocoon. Puppy Spike, overwhelmed by this immediately fainted dead away.

* * *

><p>The next day, back at Canterlot High Sunset Shimmer was currently sitting on the bleachers near the soccer field and appeared to be trying to write something down in her notebook. She scribbled and scribbled but eventually growls in frustration, crumbles up the paper and tossed it into an overflowing pile located inside the garbage can below. She sighed.<p>

"No… that's not gonna work…" Sunset Shimmer muttered to herself before her friends showed up.

"Hey, Sunset Shimmer! Whatcha doing?" Pinkie Pie asked, curiously.

"Trying to come up with my valedictorian speech but… it's proving to be harder than I thought…" Sunset Shimmer admitted.

"Ooh, wordy!" Pinkie Pie said, as she looked it over.

"Hold on, you got nominated for valedictorian and you didn't tell us?" Applejack asked her, surprising.

"Darling, we're your _friends_, why didn't you tell us?" Rarity added.

"I was _going_ to, honest! It's just… I've had a lot on my mind lately and… I wanted it to be a surprise." Sunset shrugged. "And admittedly I was pretty surprised myself… I never thought Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna would choose _me_ to represent the school… after everything I did…"

"What you did last time was _heroic_, sugarcube." Applejack told her as they walked up to joined.

"Yeah, you totally whooped the Dazzling butts!" Rainbow Dash added.

"She's right, he couldn't have done it without you." Fluttershy smiled.

"Plus you battled your own personal demons… and won!" Pinkie Pie cheered.

"But why does it feel like I'm still fighting?" Sunset Shimmer wondered,

"That's your _guilt_ talking." Applejack told her.

"Aw, don't tell me your still beating yourself up over that, the Fall Formal's old news!" Rainbow reasoned.

"Yeah, kind of like his punching bag with your face on it." Pinkie Pie said, holding up an old and broken looking punching bag with a crude drawing of Sunset's face on it. Sand was also leaking out of it. Sunset cringed looking at it. "Don't worry, it was in trash so I guess someone finally got over it."

"Yeah… hopefully…" Sunset Shimmer said, slowly like she didn't believe it all.

"How long have you been trying to come up with a speech anyway?" Applejack inquired.

"Since I got here." Sunset Shimmer shrugged. "Which was… two hours ago."

"Two hours?" Fluttershy gasped.

"Don't believe me? Look at the trash." The fiery haired girl said, gesturing to the overflowing bin nearby. Everybody winced when they see it, and then noticed a fluffy cat walk up to a rolled up piece of paper and play with it. "Great… now it's attracting wildlife."

"Aw, how cute…" Fluttershy gushed. The others glanced at her.

Sunset sighed. "Now I know how Twilight felt trying to come up with that musical counter spell… like her I only have one shot at this and it has to be perfect," she said. "Do any of you have any ideas?"

The others then began to think, mumble and groan as they tried to think of something.

"Nope!" Pinkie responded.

"You know I don't see what your stressing about, you could totally use _my_ graduation speech if _I_ was named valedictorian." Rainbow Dash told Sunset Shimmer before doing a peace sign, "Later losers."

They all just stared at her, blankly.

"Its… not that simple Rainbow Dash…" Sunset Shimmer told her.

"Meaning what?" Rainbow asked, plainly.

"Meaning that she has to come up with an inspiring speech for all of us, it can't just be a simple 'goodbye', it's graduation for crying out loud!" Applejack stated.

"Just trying to help." Rainbow Dash shrugged.

"By the way, what happened with the other Twilight, yesterday? Everything go smoothly?" Applejack asked, curiously.

"Not exactly…" Sunset said, slowly and sadly.

"Why? What happened?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused.

"Well… let's just say she's a lot harder to reach then I thought…" Sunset mused.

"Really?" Fluttershy asked, surprised.

"Yeah… all she wants is to be noticed, and she'll do _anything_ to make sure that happens." Sunset Shimmer expressed, depressed.

"Aw, how lonely she must be…" Fluttershy expressed.

"Hold on, doesn't she realize that she can solve all her problems by making a few friends?" Rarity questioned, a bit confused.

"I _tried_ befriending her… but apparently she feels the same way about friendship as I once did… she thinks it's a distraction… nothing…" Sunset Shimmer said, depressed.

"WHAT!?" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, shocked.

"Ok, she's _definitely_ not the Twilight we know." Rainbow concluded.

"Ya think?" Applejack remarked, deadpan.

"I thought I could make her see how important friendship is like Princess Twilight did for me… but I guess I failed on all counts." Sunset Shimmer said, depressed.

"I counted one time… just now." Pinkie Pie said. Everyone then glared at her, annoyed. "What?"

"Meanwhile I _still_ can't come up with a speech for graduation." Sunset Shimmer said, exhausted.

"Girl, what _you_ need is a little R&R." Rainbow Dash stated.

"R&R?" Sunset Shimmer repeated, surprised.

"Yeah, some time away from that speech of yours might just be what you need." Applejack agreed.

"I concur." Rarity nodded.

"I don't know…" Sunset said.

"Come on, you've been at it all day and graduation isn't for a couple of days, you've earned a little break." Rainbow told her.

"Dash is right, in case we could all use a break from the whole idea of graduation and all." Applejack added.

"Looks like this calls for…" Rarity began, waiting for Pinkie.

"PRE-GRADUATION PARTY!" Pinkie Pie then screamed.

"Precisely!" Rarity nodded, pleased.

"A party?" Sunset asked, surprised. "Really?"

"Yep! And your all invited! Including everyone else that's graduating this year!" Pinkie smiled.

"Come on Sunset, what do you say?" Applejack asked her. "There'll be lots of cute boys there."

Sunset Shimmer smiled and chuckled a bit as she closed her book. "Well… I guess I could use a break… truthfully… my head has been a little full lately."

"That's the spirit!" Rainbow Dash said.

"Yay…" Fluttershy cheered, quietly.

"Great! I'll see you all there! I got lots of party planning to do!" Pinkie said before zipping off, almost cartoonishly.

"How does she even do that?" Sunset Shimmer asked them, baffled.

"If you figure out, let us know." Rainbow Dash told her.

"Well, we'd better get a move on or we won't hear the end of it." Applejack advised them, as she got up, along with the others, though as they were getting off the bleachers Rainbow almost dropped a pair of strange keys which Sunset quickly caught.

"Hey, Rainbow, you dropped your keys." Sunset said, casually holding them up.

"Oh cool, the keys to my dungeon! Almost lost them!" Rainbow Dash said, pleased as she took the strange keys.

"You have a _dungeon_?" Sunset asked, surprised. "I thought those were house keys."

"What? What have you heard?" The Athlete asked, quickly.

The former bully paused before speaking. "I don't even want to know…" she said, shaking her head and walking forward, along with the others, though Applejack still looked disturbed to her Rainbow had her own dungeon.

"Uh…" she began, before shrugging and agreeing with Sunset. "Good point."

She then began to follow the others as they left the field together.

* * *

><p>Later, back at Pinkie's house, by the time it was night, people were already beginning to pour into the establishment and marvel at all the marvelous decorations that were set up, including streamers hanging from the ceilings and walls, lots of blue and yellow balloons, a shiny disco ball overhead and lots of tasty looking snacks.<p>

Once everyone was inside, Vinyl started record scratching and playing her loud rock music, as they guests each grabbed their pony ears and tails and started to enjoying the party. Pinkie's sister Maud was also present for the party, though she was mainly feeding her pet rock Boulder, looking bored as usual.

The host of the party meanwhile, was currently chugging down a large bottle of soda when she finished she smiled and then let out an earth-shaking burp that blew back everyone's hair, shakes the fur off a pair of stray cats outside and blasted the door open. After a moment of stunned silence the crowd then cheered loudly. She blushed, smiling.

"Excuse me!" Pinkie Pie said, politely while Fluttershy and Applejack approached her.

"Great party, Pinkie!" Fluttershy smiled.

"Yeah, you sure know how to throw a good one, pink!" The farm girl agreed.

"Thanks, I do my best." Pinkie Pie said, proudly while Rainbow walked past her while doing the 'walk like an Egyptian dance'.

"Hey, has anyone seen Sunset Shimmer?" she asked. Everyone just shrugged. Then Rarity popped into view.

"I think saw her standing in front of the snack bar." Rarity said, gesturing to Sunset just standing there and watching everyone dance while drinking her fruit punch looking shy.

"What's she doing?" Applejack wondered.

"Looks like she's too afraid to dance and has been sidelined." Rarity observed.

"Well _that's_ no fun!" Pinkie huffed, childishly. She then began to dance her way toward her. "I'm gonna go liven her up!"

The others all watched her go with bizarre looks on their faces, along with everybody else.

"Should we… stop her?" Rainbow Dash asked them, unsure.

"Nah, I'm interested to see if she can do it." Applejack smiled.

"It _is _Pinkie Pie." Fluttershy pointed out.

"So, it's a safe bet that she can." Rarity finished.

"Yeah… good point." Rainbow admitted as she took a drink from somebody and drank it.

"Now… about that dungeon." Applejack said, looking at Rainbow who had a nervous look on her face.

While Applejack confronted Rainbow, Sunset continued to observe and watch everyone have a good time until Pinkie Pie unexpectedly popped up near her, surprising her greatly.

"Hey, Sunset Shimmer! What do you doing standing around here? Shake that thing!" Pinkie Pie encouraged as she began to do a kooky little dance in front of her.

"Oh… I don't know… I don't really dance…" Sunset Shimmer admitted.

"Aw, come on! I'll bet your good at it!" Pinkie encouraged. "Well, better than Twilight anyway. Did you _see_ her dance at the Fall Formal? Yikes!"

"Well, yeah but…" Sunset Shimmer began.

"Come on, Sunset, you'll never get any tail unless you shake yours first!" Pinkie said in a sing-song voice.

"Pinkie I…" Sunset started to say before the music changed.

"Ooh! This is my jam!" Pinkie said, before rushing off to the dance floor and beginning to dance and practically bump anyone in her way. "Come on, Sunset! Party!"

Not wanting to disappoint her friend, Sunset made her way over to the center of the dance floor. As Sunset started letting herself loose to the beat she started to slowly dance along, then before long she quickly became part of the rapidly dancing crowd.

"That's it, Sunset! Shake it!" Pinkie cheered while jiggling around.

And so Sunset then began to do some very skilled dance moves and easily flowed to the beat. As this was happening she quickly found herself beginning to have fun and forget all about her problems, including the other Twilight.

* * *

><p>Around the same time, back in the human Twilight's lab, Puppy Spike was finally beginning to come out of his hiding spot and checked to see if his owner was still in the black cocoon, and sure enough she was. But then, the whole thing began to shake, startling the pup. It shook and shook even more, as whatever was now inside it struggled to get out, and the dog version of Spike slowly backed away again as glowing green cracks started to appear all over it.<p>

Eventually a hand suddenly broke right through the cocoon, followed by the body of an unknown figure that was seemingly Twilight due to her having her voice, but also had a now slightly inhuman looking appearance that was still covered by shadows.

The figure glanced at her hand and panted while she began to stumble forward, causing more of the tech in the room to explode and spark a little while Puppy Spike returned to his hiding place.

The being that seemed to be the other Twilight then picked up some, heavy dark clothing off the ground, including a dark brown hoodie and quickly put them on, replacing the torn clothing she was previously wearing. She struggled to keep herself from falling over as she stumbled into the side of the wall and then pushed herself off as she then began to go out the door, with Puppy Spike whining a bit as he helplessly watched her go.

* * *

><p>At the same time, the pre-graduation party was still raging on. The music was blasting, people were talking and everyone was still having a good time. Sunset made her way through the crowd, smiling until she ended up bumping into someone, which caused her to nearly drop her drink until the stranger caught it at the last second.<p>

"Sorry, here you go," he said as he handed it to her. Sunset looked at him and was surprised to see that it was Flash Sentry, her ex-boyfriend and he looked surprised as well, probably more so.

"Oh! Hey, Flash!" Sunset said, smiling and waving nervously,

"Sunset Shimmer! Hey! Uh… long time no see, huh?" Flash shrugged.

"Yeah… it's been a while…" Shimmer said, glancing away, blushing. There was a long period of awkward silence between the two before Sunset finally spoke. "So… how you been? You still miss Twilight?"

"Yeah…" Flash nodded. "Have you heard from her?"

"You could say that, yeah." Sunset Shimmer nodded.

"Great! She doing ok?" Flash asked, interested. "She still upset with me for saying all those mean things to her at the Battle of the Bands?"

"I don't think so… she's not the kind of person who holds a grudge." Sunset Shimmer assured him, comfortingly.

"Oh, that's good to know…" Flash said, relieved.

There was another period of awkward silence between the two as they glanced away and shuffled their feet a bit before Sunset Shimmer finally spoke again.

"Well… it was nice talking to you again, Flash." Sunset smiled.

"Uh… yeah, it was nice." Flash admitted. "See ya around."

"Guess you will." Sunset Shimmer nodded before she turned and walked away.

She took one more glanced towards Flash as he talked to his bandmates and blushed a bit before Rarity suddenly appeared in front of her with an eager face, startling Sunset Shimmer greatly.

"Oh my gosh, darling! We're you just speaking to Flash Sentry just now!?" Rarity exclaimed, sounding excited.

"Uh… maybe." Sunset Shimmer blushed.

"Ooh! This is so exciting! Is this the first time you've talked since you broke up?" Rarity asked, interested. "Come on, tell me, tell me!"

"Well… I guess so… it's was kind of awkward… considering we broke up a long time ago and haven't talked since… but otherwise… not so bad." Sunset admitted with a smile and a shrug.

"Does he still miss Twilight?" Rarity wondered.

"Yeah… and you know I think Twilight would be a great girl for him… I just wish she was here." Sunset Shimmer admitted.

"We all do, darling." Rarity assured her as she put a hand on her shoulder, which comforted her. "But don't worry, I'm sure she'll be back sooner than we expect."

Sunset Shimmer smiled, comforted by her words. "Yeah, you're probably right, I just hope it _is_ soon…" she said, gazing out toward the starry sky, thoughtfully.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, while the party raged on, the now hooded human version of Twilight stumbled out of an alleyway, her face still hidden. She panted heavily as he wandered over to a lamppost and grabbed onto it to maintain her balance. As she touched it, dark purple energy began to travel up the pole, then the light from the post began to turn on and off over and over again until it exploded, after which she finally let go and resumed walking down the empty street by herself like a zombie. As she walked, the lights from all the parked cars began to flash, glass cracked and shattered instantaneously and several street dogs retreated into the dark alleys, whimpering in fear as she passed by.<p>

She then stumbled into the middle of the road, glanced up and noticed bright lights, as well as a large group of people half a mile away from her. She heard them laughing, cheering, talking and pretty much enjoying life without her. The positive energy they were all giving off seemed to make her angry as she clenched her now glowing fists tightly and began to waddle towards the area, where Twilight may shift from a nobody and into… something else entirely.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Author's Note: This chapter uses bits of inspiration and references from various forms of media that I like, admire and honor but I do not own them. This is not for profit, it is merely for fun. No flames please and thank you.<strong>**


	6. Twilight's Rage

**Chapter 6**

Elsewhere, back at the party everyone was still having a good time and some folks had even begun hand holding and cuddling after just talking for a while. Sunset was also in the middle of the conversation with her friends as they made their way through the crowd before them.

"Say… if there's another Twilight… what happened to the other Sunset Shimmer?" Pinkie Pie asked, curiously.

"Oh yeah, whatever happened to her?" Applejack added.

"Uh…" The fiery haired girl from Equestria began before something caught her eye from a far. She then walked away from her.

"Darling? What's wrong?" Rarity asked.

"I'm not sure…" Sunset said as she walked closer to it, her friends began to follow her out of curiosity.

They got closer to the window and looked out it, in the distance they saw fluctuations of some kind of energy emanating from the center of what appeared to be a busy part of town. And the strange thing was; it was energy only _they_ noticed and nobody else. Sunset Shimmer looked especially concerned by this.

"What is that?" Sunset Shimmer asked. The others turn and also notice the flickering lights in the distance.

"I don't know… but it doesn't look good…" Applejack observed.

"Yeah, and no one else is even _acknowledging_ this!" Rainbow Dash pointed out. "What are they blind or something?"

"Maybe we're the only ones who can see it…" Fluttershy guessed.

"It would make sense… considering that we have magic in us." Rarity said.

"Well, we'd better go check it out… I have a bad feeling about this." Sunset Shimmer said.

"We can't just leave the party!" Pinkie Pie said.

"Plus it might be _dangerous_." Fluttershy whimpered.

"Look, we can come back later. They'll never even notice we left." Sunset Shimmer assured her. The others glanced towards the party people and saw that they were indeed so into the party that they were completely oblivious to everything else around them.

"She has a point." Rarity told them.

"Alright, let's get going!" Applejack declared.

"Yeah! Let's do it!" Pinkie cheered.

"Um… let's _not_?" Fluttershy asked, quietly.

Sunset put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be just fine, I promise," she assured her.

"Pinkie Promise?" Pinkie inquired, leaning in.

Sunset smiled. "Pinkie Promise."

"Hooray!" Pinkie Pie cheered, joyfully.

"Come on then gals, let's rock!" Applejack said, as they all turned and walked towards the open door nearby.

"Let's roll!" Rainbow added.

"Let's leave exuberantly!" Pinkie finished, cheery as they all walked out the door. Then Pinkie came right back in. "Right after some punch."

"Pinkie!" They all screamed, annoyed before pulling her away.

"But the punch…" Pinkie Pie whined as she was dragged away. The door closed behind her.

* * *

><p>While the girls began to make their way to the crowded area from where they saw the dark magic emanate, the source of the dark magic, i.e. the human version of Twilight continued to wander around completely dazed and confused.<p>

The other Twilight then tried to move through the crowd, but like before she kept getting bumped into over and over again, like if she really was invisible. The only difference was this time every time it happened the person would get a little static shock which seemed to increase with each hit and once they were shocked they began to become angry and hostile to whoever was around them at the time, as if they were getting infected with negative energy, but she didn't notice. All Human Twilight wanted was to get herself some help.

"H-Hello? Can anyone help me? Hello?" she called out, desperately. She quickly saw a kid with a Mohawk walking by and touched him, causing him a bit of pain as some dark purple energy went into him. "Excuse me, mister can you help? I don't feel so good and I…"

The Mohawk kid then shoved her and knocked her down. "Get away from me ya weirdo!" he snapped.

"I'm sorry I…" Twilight whimpered. The punk kid huffed and walked away, the negative energy on him seemed to be getting stronger, just like the rest of the people near the other Twilight, which seemed to affect all nearby electronics.

The police officer known as Bold Sentry, Flash's father, also noticed the flickering lights all around them and the increasing amount of angry people around him. He also noticed that the people around him were only getting angry when they touched or bumped into the still kneeling Twilight.

"Excuse me ma'am, please identify yourself!" he ordered. "Ma'am! Identify yourself now! Can I see you face please."

The human version of Twilight slowly raised her head toward Flash Sentry's father and showed just how drastically changed her appearance was. She now had black sclera, long black hair with an dark pink streak and a long pony tail like extension that she revealed as she took off her hood.. She also had dark purple skin with four fingered and clawed hands and pointy ears. She groaned in pain as suddenly two the things grew out of her back and tore through her hoodie which were revealed to be black bat-like wings that were the same length as a Pegasus's wings. Everyone gasped, horrified by her appearance. She then stood up looking worried.

"Don't move! Stay where you are! Freeze" Bold Sentry shouted, holding his hand up towards her.

The other Twilight quickly did as she was told, then she noticed an angry bystander charging towards her and yelped as she held her hands up toward him and suddenly she stopped him and then began to levitate him, as if she had a unicorn's horn. Everyone gasped when they saw this happen, including Human Twilight herself who slowly lifted her attacker right over herself and then abruptly dropped him like a sack of potatoes. People then began to scream and flee from her as fast as they could.

"Monster! She's a monster!" One of the people screamed. Twilight finally began to speak, only her new voice was a bit more distorted.

"Wait! Stop! It's not my fault! Please!" Human Twilight called out the fleeing people. She then noticed her reflection in the mirror and gasped. She felt her face, saw her wings then realized an important fact. "They see me… they see me…"

She mumbled this over and over in an awestruck way. She's not even shocked by how different she looks when she sees her reflection in a reflective surface close by - she's mainly just shocked that people actually see her as a person rather than a bump on the street. And then a hotdog hit her in the side of the head.

"Ow!" she cried. She turned and saw that some of the fearful people surrounding her had started to become hostile and repulsed by her new and demonic appearance.

"Hey! It's another one of those freaks that attacked Canterlot High during the Fall Formal! Let's get her!" One of them cried. The others created and began yelling and throwing food at the helpless Twilight.

"No! Stop! Don't do that!" Twilight cried as food continued to get thrown at her, until finally she had enough. "I. SAID. STOP!"

She then released a dark magical pulse from her body as she screamed which blew everyone around her away and knocked them all down. Tis caused the rest to all to scream and run away from her in fear. The other Twilight realized her mistake and frowned.

"Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean… don't run! Please! Help me!" The other Twilight begged.

Just then, the girls from Canterlot High arrived on the scene and saw all the people quickly fleeing past them.

"This the place?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah, this is it alright." Rainbow Dash confirmed. "So where's the danger anyways?"

They all looked around and then Sunset Shimmer quickly spotted a frightened young girl in a hood trying to calm everyone down. She quickly figured out that _she_ was the thing they were running from and the sparks coming from her hands were dark magic. Sunset then saw her face underneath her hood and gasped when she saw her appearance.

"Oh my gosh… Twilight?" Sunset Shimmer gasped.

"TWILIGHT!?" Everyone else exclaimed as they looked again and saw that it was indeed the alternate version of Twilight that they had met earlier that day.

"My goodness… it _is_ Twilight!" Rarity gasped.

"Whoa…" Rainbow Dash said, stunned.

"What's _happened_ to her?" Fluttershy asked, shocked.

"It looks like it might be dark magic… it's infected her somehow." Sunset Shimmer deduced. "Oh… I should have stopped her from poking around sooner…"

"Yeah… now she kinda looks like that she-demon form you took on…" Rainbow pointed out.

Sunset looked closely and saw the similarities. "Yeah… she does…"

Bold Sentry then began to approach her. "Alright little missy, that's enough. I think you need to come with me. Everything's gonna be alright."

Bold touched her arm but that seemed to freak her out more.

"Get away!" The other Twilight yelled as she indivertibly fired a dark magical blast which sent the plan flying right into a nearby dress store. When he came out he was wearing a gaudy looking outfit. The girls were amazed.

"Holy Moly! If she keep this up their won't be a city left to _save_!" Applejack remarked.

"So what do we do? If she sees us she'll _fry_ us!" Rainbow said.

"I'll try and talk her down, she knows me, the rest of you spread out and surround her but don't do anything unless something bad happens." Sunset Shimmer instructed.

"Something bad?" Fluttershy asked, worried.

"If her new form is anything like mine, then her mind may been corrupted as well and that is very bad." Sunset said. "Only one way to find out."

Sunset then began to slowly make her way towards the scared and now somewhat dangerous alternate Twilight. Not wanting to spook her or cause her to attack anyone, she took extreme caution as she made her way over to her.

Well she made her way towards Twilight, the others all walked off in a different direction, whilst looking at their friend worriedly, who in turn was looking at the other Twilight just as worried.

"Please! Don't run away! I'm sorry! I didn't…" Twilight tried to tell the now frightened people.

"Twilight!" Sunset Shimmer called out. Alternate Twilight turned around and looked surprised and somewhat happy to see Sunset once again.

"It's you…" she said, stunned.

"Yes, it's me Twilight, Sunset Shimmer, remember?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"Sunset Shimmer… yes I remember you! I walked into the street, the car almost hit me… you saved me…" Native Twilight said, slowly sounding a bit excited to see her savior again.

Sunset nodded. "That's right, I did. "Now tell me… how did this _happen_ to you?"

"I-I don't know… I-I think it was… that rock… I found earlier… the-the pendent…" Human Twilight stuttered.

"Pendant…" Sunset echoed, before she remembered the pendants used by the Dazzlings before they were destroyed. "Oh no…"

"I don't know what's happening to me." Twilight whimpered, stressed. "I don't understand…! I can't control all this power I swear!"

"I can see that… I-I believe you…" Sunset Shimmer assured her.

"Y-You do?" The human version of Twilight stuttered.

Sunset inched her way closer to Human Twilight. "Listen Twilight, I know you're a good person so I know you don't really want to hurt anyone. Trust me Twilight, I know what it's like to be misunderstood and treated so badly. Now why don't you come with me, and let's get out of here? Away from all these people, ok? You can tell me everything then, ok?"

Human Twilight remained glued to her spot. Sparks of dark magic jumped from her hands as she held herself closely and darted her eyes back and forth.

"I just… all I've ever wanted was for people to notice me…" she said, looking at her new body.

"They _do_, Twilight. They do." Sunset Shimmer said, seriously.

"Do they? Do they really?" Human Twilight asked, surprised as she looked up at Sunset, needing to her it.

Sunset nodded. "They do."

As they continued talking, Applejack and the others all continued to watch anxiously hoping Sunset Shimmer could talk her down.

"That's it sugarcube, just keep her talking… and calm her down." Applejack said, quietly.

"Oh… I hope this works…" Fluttershy muttered, fearfully.

"It _will_ work, don't worry." Rainbow Dash assured her.

"We just need to be patient." Rarity stated.

"Then afterwards we can have a party to celebrate!" Pinkie added while eating a box of popcorn. The others groaned.

"You have to listen to me Twilight… you may not believe it but… I'm your friend." Sunset told her.

"I've… ever had a friend before…" Human Twilight admitted.

"You do now." Sunset promised.

A blinding light suddenly interrupted the scene. A kid from Canterlot High had snapped a photo with his phone, causing Twilight to jump and shoot bolts of dark energy out of her fingertips. To the others, it looked like she was going to attack Sunset.

"Oh no, she's going to really attack her!" Fluttershy realized.

"Let's move!" Rainbow Dash yelled as they all ran out.

Sunset Shimmer and Twilight then noticed them all yelling and charging towards them. Sunset's eyes widened when she realized what they were planning on doing.

"No! Wait! Stop!" Sunset Shimmer called out to her friends as they continued to rush toward the demonic looking Twilight, who was startled by their sudden appearance.

"GO AWAY!" she screamed, fearfully as she turned around and released a dark energy beam from her chest that hit and knocked them all down.

Sunset looked up just in time to see Twilight's dark magical waves hit a towering building nearby, creating a sea of debris that plummeted towards the screaming civilians below.

"Ahhhh!"

The fiery haired girl focused on a slim kid who'd been knocked down by those feeling around him. A falling piece of metal sped toward him. Before the kid could be crushed, Sunset Shimmer raced over and yanked him out of the way before it hit.

"You ok?" she asked him. The scrawny kid nodded, shaken.

Sunset then smiled thankfully, then glanced over to see her friends, along with several of the teens watching, cheering her on after seeing her heroic act. Sunset Shimmer smiled, touched.

Human Twilight, too, glanced at the former bad girl that was currently being cheered on by the very people she harassed a few years ago. She'd been… replaced. Betrayed. By the one who was supposed to be on _her_ side. The other Twilight's face darkened with fury.

"You're a _liar_!" she screamed at Sunset Shimmer. "You told me just what I wanted to hear! _And_ you knew about those events too! I can _feel_ it!"

"No, Twilight. Stay with me." Sunset said. "I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"No you _were_, and you know something? I think you're _scared_ of me. I think I'm more powerful and more important than _all of you_ and you want to take that away from me! Well it's not happening!" Demon Twilight yelled, as she began to fly up with her bat wings. "I'm out of here!"

"Oh, come on! She can _fly_?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed in dismay.

"And that's not all!" Twilight said, evilly as she created a little ball of dark energy and fired it at them.

"Look out!" Applejack yelled.

They quickly jump out of the way as it the ground, creating a small explosion while the demonic Twilight laughed evilly.

The six girls groaned as they began to stand back up, some of them even helped each other up as well.

"Oh, _now_ she has control?" Rainbow complained.

"Oh… is… everyone alright?" Rarity asked. They all nodded weakly.

"Yeah, we're good…" Applejack confirmed before the other Twilight suddenly teleported away and appeared right above them, cackling. "But… not for much longer I'm afraid…"

Demon Twilight yelled as her eyes glowed brightly while she spread her arms, the energy then went from her eyes to her hand which she brought together and prepared to fire.

"Run! Run!" Sunset yelled as they all quickly started dashing away while the evil Twilight continuously fired bolts of dark magic down upon them like a raging thunderstorm that had been let loose upon the world.

"Well, at least she doesn't have good aim!" Pinkie commented while running before dodging another blast. "Whoa!"

"All this time I thought _I_ was the problem when it's _you_!" Demon Twilight proclaimed gesturing to Sunset Shimmer.

Then by raising her palm she quickly began to levitate Sunset's surprised friends.

"No!" Sunset Shimmer cried out.

"_All of you_! _You're the_ problem! And _I'm_ the solution!" The evil Twilight said with an evil smile and an equally evil cackle.

"Listen, Twilight! You need help, you don't have to fight me. Please! I'll do whatever I can to cure you!" Sunset Shimmer called out. "Just _please_! Don't hurt my friends!"

"Ha! Help me? And then what? Turn me back into that geeky little nobody? I don't think so, and the same goes for not hurting your 'friends'." The evil Twilight stated, scathingly. "Now stay still so I can destroy you!"

Demon Twilight prepared to blast her as well. Then Sunset spotted a broken piece of glass near her, and a shiny light from a bulb that wasn't broken and thought fast. She quickly grabbed the glass, ran over to the light and used the broken glass to reflect the light off of it and shine it in Evil Twilight's eyes.

"Gah!" Twilight exclaimed as she tried to shield her eyes from the light, this distraction caused her to drop the girls, who all landed on their rears. Sunset rushed over to them.

"You girls ok?" Sunset asked them.

The girls all nodded and confirmed they that were one by one. They turned when they noticed the Evil Twilight floating down towards them.

"Say… you wanna know how powerful I am?" Demon Twilight smirked, evilly.

"Uh… no…" Fluttershy whimpered.

"Well _I_ do!" The corrupted Twilight snapped as she blasted the ground near Fluttershy, making her squeal while Rainbow pulled her close and out of the way. "I'm just _dying_ to know. Hmm. I wonder if I can get you all in one blast? Let's find out!"

The demonic Twilight charged up a dark magical ball in-between her hands, which seemed to remind them of the time Sunset nearly finished them at the Fall Formal with a similar blast. She then threw it right at them.

"Incoming!" Pinkie Pie screamed as a blast hit the ground near them which knocked them off their feet and sent them rolling across the ground. Rainbow Dash struggled to get up.

"Rrgh… what is… WITH this girl?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, groaning.

"I don't know… but she's _loco_." Pinkie Pie remarked. "Hey, rhyme!"

"But why is she acting this way?" Fluttershy wondered, concerned and confused.

"Yeah, it doesn't sound like Twilight at all." Applejack agreed.

"This version was mad at the world _before_ she got infected with dark magic, now that she _is_ infected, all those bad feeling have been magnified exponentially." Sunset Shimmer said. "I should know… I've been there…"

"Yeah, and it's also made her lose her mind!" Rainbow Dash added.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity scolded.

"What!? You gotta admit that she's just a _little_ bit crazy!" Rainbow proclaimed.

Twilight turned to them and raised a brow. "Crazy?" she inquired before attempting to blast Rainbow. But Sunset quickly tackled her out of the way, saving her life. "I'm not the crazy one here! _You_ are!"

Rainbow and Sunset then stood up, groaning. "No, that's still _you_." The rainbow haired girl told her. She turned to Sunset, smiling. "Thanks for the save by the way."

Sunset Shimmer smiled, happy about successfully saving her friend even though she had pointed out that she may have to leave.

Human Twilight on the other hand, had lost her first true friend and she was not happy. She started throwing bolts of dark magic at Sunset Shimmer. The fiery haired girl quickly started to run around the area, doing her best to dodge the blasts being thrown.

"Guess what, Sunset Shimmer?" Demon Twilight said, shooting a stream of energy bolts. "I thought you were my friend, but the truth is you're just like the rest of them! Impetuous… and _selfish_!"

"Twilight, stop! Your gonna seriously hurt someone!" Sunset Shimmer told her, trying to appeal to the last bit of humanity in the other Twilight.

"Maybe they _deserve_ to be hurt!" The now corrupted Twilight screamed as she flew up higher into the air, and gazed at all the frightened people still remaining below. "You all didn't think I could be one of you! You all didn't think _I_ was good enough! Let's see how you like joining _my_ club!?"

She then began to try and attack the crowd below with bolts of dark magic that rained down upon them and sent some of them flying. It eventually became too much for the gang to take.

"Let's get out of here!" Applejack cried. The girls all nod and began to quickly run off before the Evil Twilight could get back up. Once she did, she saw that they had all left and she was alone once again. She let out a frustrated scream and then zoomed high into the air before disappearing.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Author's Note: This chapter uses bits of inspiration and references from various forms of media that I like, admire and honor but I do not own them. This is not for profit, it is merely for fun. No flames please and thank you.<strong>**


	7. Return of the Princess

**Chapter 7**

Later on, the girls quickly came back to Pinkie's house. They opened and slammed the door shut as soon as they came in and sure enough, nobody had even noticed that they left and we're still continuing to party. They each kneeled a bit and panted as they panted to catch their breaths, they were all completely exhausted.

"That… was _way_ to close…" Rainbow said, gasping for air every few seconds.

"You said it…" Applejack agreed.

"Boy… am I tired!" Pinkie Pie expressed as she then slowly fell over, right on her face.

"Oh… me as well… I feel like I just went through a shopping spree and I do not have _anything_ to show for it!" Rarity said, completely breathless.

"Well, at least it's over…" Fluttershy said, relieved.

While they were talking, Pinkie walked over to the television in the living room and ended up turning it on and the first thing she saw was an image of the now corrupted Twilight Sparkle.

"Hey, look! It's the other Twilight! She's on TV!" Pinkie announced. Everyone, including some of the party people, turned to the television and saw images of the demonic looking Twilight causing chaos throughout the entire city. They quickly noticed that no sound was coming from it.

"Why is it muted?" Sunset inquired.

"Oh, loud noises scare Fluttershy." Pinkie Pie said, while the shy girl near her nodded, fearfully. "Plus… the reporter tends to say things I'm really not allowed to say…"

"Oh…" Sunset said, understandingly.

"_Now_ what do we do?" Fluttershy wondered, worrying. "Twilight's destroying the city and… I think I'm too scared to face her again… there's no guarantee that she won't try to destroy us again…"

Applejack put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Fluttershy, we're _all_ a little scared of this other Twilight."

"Please! _I'm_ not scared of Twilight!" Rainbow Dash boasted, before Pinkie tapped her on the shoulder and silently gestured to the TV with wide eyes. Rainbow then saw images of tombstones carved into several different buildings with their names and years of birth on them, as well as their supposed date of death which was, according the tombstones… 'soon'. She then turned to the others looking stunned. "Ok… I'm a little scared of her."

"We _all_ are." Applejack stated, firmly. "Just like I said."

"Hard to believe dark magic could have done this to her, _and_ affected her this much!" Rarity remarked.

"I told you, this version of Twilight was mad at the world _before_ she become infected with dark magic, now that she _has_ it's been… magnified somehow." Sunset Shimmer said.

"But _how_ did she get infected, anyway?" Fluttershy wondered, confused.

"It was because of the Dazzling's, or more specifically their _pendants_." Sunset said, with narrowed eyes.

"The Dazzling's pendants? Of course! I can't believe we didn't realize it earlier." Rarity remarked.

"It all makes sense, the unhinged mind, the negative mojo that was affecting everyone with, it was because of those wacky pendants that they used to carry." Applejack realized.

"But weren't they destroyed?" Rainbow pointed out.

"And didn't we throw out all those broken pieces?" Pinkie added.

"Guess we missed a few…" Applejack remarked.

"Uh-oh…" Fluttershy gulped.

"And now some of their dark power has affected this world's Twilight and driven her…" Rarity began before Pinkie held up a clock that made a cuckoo noise. "Yes, exactly."

"So it's _our_ fault?" Rainbow questioned. They nodded, making Rainbow groan "Great… we are _so_ doomed."

"Well if we don't stop her this Twilight will destroy the entire town…" Sunset said as they all gazed out the window and saw towers of smoke rising out from various parts of the city.

"So what do we do?" Fluttershy wondered, fearfully.

"It looks like we're gonna have to call on Princess Twilight for help." Sunset Shimmer concluded.

"You sure?" Applejack asked.

"If anyone can help us stop _this_ version of Twilight, it's her." Sunset stated. "For only _she _can stop herself."

"Makes sense to me!" Pinkie Pie smiled.

"In that case, we'd better get a message to her ASAP." Rainbow declared.

"I'll go get my book." Sunset Summer said, before quickly leaving.

Sunset walked over to her bag, opened it up and took out her magic book and in just a mere moment Pinkie Pie appeared before her, holding a pink pen.

"Make sure to write something really big like… 'SOS' or… 'HELP US!', ok?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Ok…" Sunset said, slowly as she took the pen and began to write. "Dear Princess Twilight…"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back in Equestria, things were still relatively peaceful even after Tirek's attack and all the other recent events that had occurred there of late. All the ponies living there went about their everyday routine while their beloved Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, happily made her way through town and greeted everypony that saw her<p>

"Morning Princess!" Daisy waved.

"Good Morning!" Princess Twilight waved back.

The Mailpony then walked by. "Hey! Good Morning, Princess!

"Good morning to you, too!" The princess smiled.

Some school fillies, who were all big fans of Twilight, then walked by as well.

"Morning, Princess Twilight!" They said.

"Looking good!" Another one noted.

"Thanks, your all looking great as well." Princess Twilight beamed.

The Princess then continued walking until she stopped in front of something that made her ears droop and caused her to sit right down on her rump as she lowered her head sadly in front of the ruined remains of her once precious library, which was destroyed during her battle with Tirek. A battle that shook her to the core. She glanced at her former home and all the memories that she had in it flashed in her mind, causing her great sadness as a tear fell down her face.

She sighed, depressed, almost not noticing her number one assistant, Spike, approaching her from behind.

"Hey Twilight, you ok?" Spike asked, noticing her sadness.

"Yeah… it's just… I miss our home…" Twilight sighed, sadly. "Seems like only yesterday that Tirek destroyed it in one blast."

"But that was so long ago! And things have returned to normal since then." Spike reminded her.

"I know but…" Twilight Sparkle began.

"Look Twilight, you need to stop trying to change things that can't be changed, the past is the past and you need to let it go and embrace the future, you know what I mean?" Spike asked.

"Yeah…" Twilight sighed.

"Besides you got own shining castle now, and you have an official title too! Plus you have great friends, a _wonderful_ assistant and well… pretty much everything you've ever wanted." Spike pointed out. "What's to be depressed about?"

"Well…" Twilight began before her voice trailed off.

"Well what?" Spike inquired.

"Never mind, it's not important… it's get back to the castle." Princess Twilight said. "_My_ caste…"

"Alright!" Spike said, pumped as they both began to walk away from their destroyed library and toward their shiny new castle.

* * *

><p>Pretty soon, the two of them arrived back at the castle that represented the new Friendship Rainbow Kingdom and happily walked through the doors together.<p>

"Hey, think we'll get our own personal guard?" Spike inquired, eagerly.

Twilight chuckled, amused. "Maybe Spike, just _maybe_," she said before she noticed the that book, which she got messages from Sunset Shimmer, was glowing and vibrating, she quickly levitated it over.

"What is it?" Spike asked.

"It's from Sunset Shimmer and our friends from Canterlot High!" Twilight realized as levitated the book over and read the pages closely.

"What's it say?" Spike inquired.

Twilight read it for a bit and then gasped. "It can't be…" she breathed.

"What is it?" Spike questioned her, eagerly. "Come on, tell me!"

"It says that… they found another _me_ in their world!" Twilight gasped.

"Huh!?" Spike said, shocked.

* * *

><p>Pretty soon after reading Sunset Shimmer's message about the other Twilight, the Princess and her always loyal assistant found themselves walking back into the room where they kept the portal.<p>

"I can't believe there's another _you_, Twilight." Spike remarked.

"Neither did I, but it makes sense. If there are other versions of our friends in that world then it's reasonable to say that there are other versions of _us_ as well, we've just never met them." Princess Twilight said.

"Until _now_ you mean." Spike pointed out.

"Yeah…" Twilight admitted. "Now… let's get the portal ready."

Spike nodded, took the magic book that used to belong to Celestia and placed it on top of the contraption that kept the portal open. The machine then charged up, using the book's magic ,and the connection between their world and Equestria was finally established.

"All set!" Spike confirmed.

"Excellent!" Twilight nodded, pleased.

"Well, here we go again." Spike said as he prepared to go through the portal.

"I just hope keeping the portal to their world open was a good idea…" Twilight confessed.

"Why do you think that?" Spike wondered.

"Well… I'm thinking that there's a _reason_ why the portal's only supposed to open once every thirty moons… but I'm not sure what it is…" Princes Twilight admitted. "Still I worry…"

"Come on, I'm sure it's nothing." Spike assured her.

"Yeah… maybe…" Twilight said, still sounding unsure as she put on her saddle bag as well as a few other items as well.

"Hey, shouldn't we tell the others that were leaving?" Spike inquired, confused.

"I want to but I'm afraid there's no time, leave them a note in case they come by, hopefully they'll understand." Twilight said.

"Ok… I still feel bad about it though…" Spike confessed.

"You and me both…" The Princess of Friendship sighed, sadly. She then regained her composure Ready?"

Spike then got into a running position. "Ready!" he confirmed with a thumbs up.

"Then let's go!" Twilight declared before she and her loyal assistant rushed toward the portal and then jumped right through.

* * *

><p>The next day, back in the human world, outside the school the girls were all sitting near the statue where the portal was doing their own thing as they waited for Twilight. Fluttershy played with a lady bug, Pinkie blew big balloons, Rarity did her nails, Rainbow threw her ball into the air over and over, Applejack relaxed and Sunset continued to try, and fail, to come with a speech.<p>

"Sure she'll be here?" Rainbow asked, Sunset.

"She'll be here." Sunset Shimmer assured her. She checked her new watch. "In three… two… one…"

Just before she could say zero, Twilight came flying out of the portal beside them and landed nearby, along with Spike.

"I'm back!" The Princess of Friendship announced, smiling.

"Twilight!" They all cheered, happily before running over and hugging her tightly.

"We missed you so much Twilight!" Fluttershy expressed.

"Aw, I'm missed you too, girls." Twilight expressed.

"Good to have you back, Twilight." Sunset Shimmer smiled as she approached her. The two of them quickly hugged.

"It's good to be back." Princess Twilight said.

"And now that you are… we got _a lot_ to fill you in on." Sunset told her as Twilight raised a brow.

* * *

><p>Sometime later, they were all sitting on the couch, or at a nearby table, inside the local hangout; The Sweet Shoppe, where the Rainboom's were telling Twilight all about their encounter with the Alternate Twilight.<p>

"So… you really did find the alternate version of _me_ and she _attacked_ you all?" Equestria Twilight asked, surprised. They all nodded in confirmation.

"Yep!" Pinkie chirped.

"Well… more like she found _us_… but you get the idea." Rainbow Dash said, shrugging.

Twilight looked stunned. "That's incredible… I mean… I heard her mentioned by Pinkie once but… but I never considered that she…"

"It caught us _all_ by surprise." Sunset Shimmer assured her.

"Yeah, and she wasn't like you at all!" Pinkie added.

"She's right, she was _very_ different… and if you could have seen the _hate_ in… in her eyes…" Fluttershy said, shaking fearfully.

"I'm sorry you had to see that…" Princess Twilight said, feeling guilty. "Anything else I should know about her?"

"Well… she's pretty much what you would have been like if you hadn't discovered the magic of friendship…" Sunset Shimmer added.

"Oh dear…" Twilight said, stunned.

"Yeah… not a pleasant person… no offence." Rainbow Dash said.

"None taken." Twilight sighed. "I should have warned you about her… about the kind of person I was back then. All I cared about was my studies and nothing else. Maybe… maybe if I sent you after me earlier…"

"Twilight, that's in the past, you can't change it." Sunset told her.

"That's what Spike keeps tell me…" Twilight said, depressed.

"It's true!" The dog said, proudly. Twilight gave him an annoyed glare and he smiled, sheepishly.

"Well, you should probably listen to him." Rainbow told her. Spike nodded, still looking proud.

"Ok… well are any ideas where the other… _me_ could be now?" Twilight asked them.

Sunset shook her head. "No… after causing so much damage to the city she disappeared not long before you showed up. We have no idea where she could be."

"I wanted to go searching for her but… AJ here pointed out that it would take forever." Rainbow Dash added, dismayed.

"Well, until she shows herself again we're gonna have to stay on high alert, we can't let anything…" Twilight began before she sees a familiar blue-haired guitar player entering the Sweet Shoppe and smiled. "Flash?"

Flash's eyes widen when heard Twilight's voice. He turned around and smiled when he saw her sitting with her friends. She stood up and waved at him, nervously.

"Twilight!" Flash cried, happily as he ran over to her. Then they both embraced each other, tightly and lovingly. The girls all d'awwed at the sight while Rainbow and Spike both made gagging noises. Rarity glared at them both, annoyed.

"Flash…" Twilight sighed.

"It's good to see you again." Flash expressed.

"It's great to see you too…" Twilight smiled. "I've missed you…"

"Aw, I've missed you too… oh and… listen, I didn't get a chance to tell you this before but… sorry about the things I said to you during the battle of the bands… I acted like a jerk." Flash said, regretfully. "And I'm sorry."

"Flash, there's no need to apologize, you weren't yourself." Twilight reminded him.

"I still feel crummy about it…" Flash confessed.

Twilight put a hand on his cheek. "Well don't, the important thing is… you are yourself again," she said, smiling. Flash smiled at this, touched.

"So… do you think we can start over? Like… that never happened?" Flash asked, hopefully.

Twilight looked at him lovingly. "Of course we can."

Flash looked very pleased. "Cool…"

The two of them glanced away from each other blushing and smiling like idiots. It took a while before they noticed the others watching and giggling at them and then began to walk away, holding hands. When they were far enough away from everyone Flash spoke .

"So… I hear there's another you, huh?" Flash remarked.

"Seems that way." Twilight confirmed.

"I always that… there was only _one_ you. I never imagined that…" The blue haired guitar player began.

"Yeah… never really crossed _my_ mind until today…" Twilight admitted.

"You know… I think my Dad mentioned seeing someone who looked like that earlier, your sayings that's… Flash began.

"Yeah." Twilight confirmed, nodding grimly.

"Aw man… and if somebody sees you…" Flash started to say again.

"They'll think _I'm_ responsible for her terrible acts… I'll get blamed for all that stuff and I didn't _do_ of it!" Twilight said, stressed. She sighed. "Can anybody say _ironic_?"

Twilight buried her face her hands and lowered her head. Flash looked at sympathetically, and then something popped into his head that made his eyes widen.

"Hey how about we… like maybe … go for a walk? You know, to take your mind off things for a bit?" Flash suggested. Twilight glanced up at him. "Maybe even… dinner later tonight?"

"You mean like… a _date_?" Twilight questioned, raising a brow, surprised.

"If you want to." Flash said. "If not then…

"No! No! I mean… I want to! I mean I… I…" Twilight began before Sunset appeared near her.

"Go on, we don't know where the other Twilight is right now, so just hang out and relax for a bit, ok?" Sunset whispered to her. Twilight nodded thankfully.

I mean… I'd _love_ to, Flash." Twilight smiled, while blushing like he was.

"Great! I mean… cool. So… shall we?" Flash offered.

"Yes… we shall." Twilight said as she began to walk forward, Flash did a silent 'Yes!' to himself before he began to follow her out. The girls all watched them go and giggled to themselves while Spike rolled his eyes.


	8. The Date

**Chapter 8**

Sometime later, Twilight had followed Flash to what appeared to be the town park and together they began to walk around the grassy and beautiful land whilst holding hands, in Flash's other hand he carried his guitar case. As they walked Twilight noticed a glimmering lake next to her and a freshly cut hedge right behind the metal railings beside her. She also glanced at the kid's playground and noticed how freshly cut the grass was and all the lovely flowers close by her.

"This place is beautiful…" Princess Twilight expressed.

"Yeah, my little brother and I hung out here all the time as kids." Flash admitted.

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun growing up." Twilight remarked.

"Yeah, I guess so…" Flash shrugged.

"What's wrong?" Twilight inquired, concerned.

"Nothing it's just… I'm worried about my Dad…" Flash confessed.

"I know how you feel, I have a big brother whose kind of the Captain of the Royal Guard where I'm from." Twilight said, sheepishly. "He's great at it but… I still worry about him."

"You have a brother too?" Flash asked, surprised.

"Surprise…" Twilight said, grinning and blushing. "Looks like we have something else in common."

"Guess so." Flash nodded. He then became very nervous. "Say… do you think your brother would like me?"

"Of course he would like you." Princess Twilight stated, confidently while putting a hand on his shoulder to assure him. He smiled. "Well… I _think_…"

Flash looked surprised. "You think?"

"Well… I've never exactly had a… _boyfriend_ before… not that I don't want you to be it's just… well I'm not saying I _want_ you to but… well whatever you want is fine and… wow your gorgeous… wait, what?" Twilight asked, confused while blushing madly. "Oh… why did I say that?"

"Say what? I didn't hear anything." Flash said, smiling. Twilight laughed nervous as she glanced around and twirled her hair.

"So… where we going to have dinner?" Twilight inquired.

"Oh, you're gonna _love_ it, it's where my parents first met." Flash expressed, happily.

"Really?" Princess Twilight asked, interested.

"Yeah, it's even where my Dad proposed to my Mom." Flash added.

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Twilight said, touched.

Flash chuckled. "Yeah, she thought the same thing," he admitted. "You know you remind me a lot of her."

"Yeah?" Princess Twilight asked, interested. Flash nodded in glanced away sadly. "What? What's the matter?"

"Nothing it's just… I miss my Mom…" Flash sighed, sadly as he reached into his shirt and took out a pendent in the shape of a blue shield with a lightning bolt on the center.

"What's that?' Twilight asked, intrigued.

"My Mom gave me this." Flash explained.

"Your Mom gave it to you? When she… you know…" Twilight asked, before glancing away.

"Yeah… happened two years ago." Flash sighed, depressed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know…" Princess Twilight told him, sympathetically.

"It's ok, it's not your fault…" Flash assured her. Flash rubbed the pendent in his hand affectionately and just by looking at him Twilight could see a hint of sadness in his eye and looked sympathetic. He quickly changed his tune. "So… eager to see where we'll be eating?"

"Uh… sure! Lead the way!" Twilight offered, before she heard something. "What was _that_?"

Flash looked confused. "What? What was what?"

"I think I hear someone coming! I think it's people who are after the other me!" Twilight expressed, practically freaking out before quickly jumping into a bush to hide. Flash looked and noticed something coming forward, though it turned out to be just a cat that meowed at him.

"Uh… that's a cat." Flash pointed out, turning to the bush Twilight was in. She then popped out looking surprised.

"Oh… heh, heh… my bad…" Twilight said, blushing sheepishly and mentally slapping herself for looking like such a crazy fool.

Flash smiled sweetly at her, then offer her his hand. "Here, let me help you."

Twilight smiled back at him and then, similar to when they first met she put her clenched hand on his then extended all fingers and grab his hand which allowed him to help her up.

* * *

><p>Later on that day, both Twilight and Flash arrived at the restaurant they were going to have dinner in. Flash let Twilight step inside first and then held her hand again.<p>

"Ok, here we are." Flash said, as he gestured to the area of the restaurant in front of them. Twilight's eyes widen she saw it.

"Wow!" Twilight said, amazed as she gazed upon the sight of the beautiful restaurant they were in.

It was American styled and looked somewhat fancy due to it being a three star restaurant, it had a dark red floor, red satin wallpaper with golden, curly accents and multiple comfortable seats with tall gold colored columns holding it up and several golden chandeliers hanging from above their heads.

"Yeah, pretty sweet, huh?" Flash remarked.

"I'll say." Twilight agreed.

"One sec." Flash told her as he walked up to a man at the counter, talked for a bit then came back to her. "Ok, our seats are ready."

"Sat… isn't some of this stuff expensive?" Twilight inquired.

"Yeah, but don't worry, your worth it." Flash assured her. That made Twilight giggle and blush even more as she twirled a lock of her hair. "Come on, this way."

As they made their way down the long row of tables Twilight saw an image of the evil Twilight on the screen and panicked a bit. She looked around and quickly did her hair in a different and messy style, slipped on a pair of sunglasses and put on a scarf that she found lying around and wrapped it around her face. When they reached their table and sat down, Flash was a bit surprised by how Twilight now looked.

"You know, you don't have to wear a disguise." Flash told her.

"But what if someone recognizes me and thinks _I'm_ the Evil Twilight? Ooh… I could put you in danger too! I should probably go…" Princess Twilight began as she started to leave before being stopped by Flash.

"No, please, you're my friend Twilight… a _really_ good friend, I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." Flash stated.

Twilight seemed to be comforted by this and sat back down.

"Thank you," he said. They then began to hear a certain beat coming from various sounds around them that slowly started to become catchy. "Hey… that's a good rhythm!"

Flash then took his guitar out of his guitar case, and began strumming to the beat.

"Come on, join in." Flash encouraged her.

"Join in?" Twilight echoed, surprised.

"Yeah, I know you can sing." Flash reminded her.

"Oh, I don't know…" Twilight said, glancing away, embarrassed.

"Come on, what's the harm?" Flash inquired, friendly while raising a brow. "It could be fun."

"Well… ok." Twilight relented as she allowed herself to feel the beat Flash was currently strumming to.

Twilight then began to sing a song similar to 'He Could Be the One' with Flash playing guitar near her. When they finally finished they both stared at each other lovingly. They then soon snap out of it and glance away from each other, chuckling and blushing.

"Uh… nice one, you sing really great by the way." Flash complimented her.

"Thanks… and you're a great guitar player… as always…" Princess Twilight gushed

"Coming from a Princess… that means a lot." Flash smiled. This remarked surprised Twilight greatly.

"So… you don't mind that I'm a Pony Princess from another world?" Twilight asked, hesitantly and nervously.

"Not really." Flash with a smile and a shrug. "That just makes you more interesting than you already are."

"Oh…" Twilight said, touched as she twirled her hair again.

"Sorry I wasn't able to say goodbye to you the first two times you left… I just didn't know what to say…" Flash shrugged, sadly.

Twilight glanced away. "Yeah, me neither…" she admitted, she then saw Flash's guilty face and held his hand. "But we're together now, that's all that matters, ok?"

This seemed to comfort Flash as he smiled at her. "Ok," he said.

The two of them stared at each other lovingly before Sunset Shimmer suddenly showed up and ran over to them.

"Twilight! I think I know where we might be able to find clues on where your other self might be." Sunset Shimmer told her, quickly before she realized that she had just interrupted their date. "Oh… sorry I didn't…"

"Aw, it's ok, right Flash?' Twilight asked him.

"Uh yeah, wouldn't want to keep you from, you know… saving the world." Flash said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah… relaxing was nice while it lasted." Twilight sighed, as she stood up. "Thanks for the dinner."

"Not a problem." Flash shrugged.

"We'd better get going." Sunset told her.

"Right." Twilight nodded as she and Sunset Shimmer began to leave.

"Twilight!" Flash called out. Twilight stopped and turned to him. "Be careful, ok?"

Twilight gave him a nod and an assuring smile before leaving with Sunset Shimmer.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, the alternate Twilight was currently flying over the city, smiling at all the destruction she was causing, as well all the people currently running in fear.<p>

"Ah, yes. I have _nothing_ to fear. The world is _mine_! Let the oceans _rise_ and sky rain _fire_!" Evil Twilight said, sinisterly.

She began to laugh, then suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her soul that caused her to gasp before she began to move down toward the ground. She quickly landed in the middle of a dark alley and dropped to her knees as she held her side. The human Twilight then began to sound like her old self again.

"No! This isn't right! This has to stop!" The other Twilight said as she struggled to keep the darkness back. Then her eyes glowed again. "No. They must all pay. Pay for ignoring me. For making fun me! For _lying _to me, attacking me, hating me. They all just _used_ me and now they're afraid of me! Well, now they're all _dead_ to me! And I shall _destroy_ them!"

The evil Twilight began rise up but the small amount of goodness inside of her continued to fight back and she clutched her chest, dropped to her knees, then gazed at a mirror nearby her, horrified by her demonic looking appearance.

"Oh no… what have I _become_…? What have I _done_…? I have to… get… rid… of this… power… that's… controlling me!" she panted as she struggled to fight the darkness. "Yes… I must… fight…"

The alternate Twilight continued to try and fight the darkness inside her, causing her body to shake violently and made her lower her forehead to the ground as she groaned in pain. Eventually she suddenly punched the mirror, making it crack up before her eyes glowed a sinister glow.

"_No_… you _can't_…" she suddenly hissed with a voice that didn't sound human. She then zipped back up toward the sky like a rocket and then quickly vanished.


	9. Round 1

**Chapter 9**

Before long, the girls, and Spike in tow, arrived in the home of the other Twilight and was exactly as she left it; messy, slightly disorganized and now with broken pieces of machinery all around.

"Well… here we are." Sunset Shimmer declared.

"_This_ is where the Alternate Twilight lives?" Princess Twilight asked Sunset Shimmer, surprised.

"Yep, this is it. She took me here the day after I saved her from getting hit." Sunset Shimmer confirmed.

Rainbow glanced at all the scientific equipment. "Place sure is fit for an egghead…" she observed.

"I'm right here." Twilight reminded her, annoyed.

"Yeah, I know." Rainbow Dash said, nonchalantly.

Rarity whipped her finger on one of the desks and grimaced at the dust. "Ugh, when was the last time she _cleaned_ this place? The state of it is absolutely dreadful!"

"Yeah… why don't you try saying that in front of her and see what happens?" Rainbow Dash asked, flatly.

"Uh… no thanks…" Rarity whimpered.

"What _happened_ here…?" Fluttershy wondered, gazing at the mess around them.

"Hmm… things weren't nearly this messy last time I was here…" Sunset observed. "And judging by all these broken machines… something _definitely_ bad happened here."

They then hear something rolling across the floor and quickly turn toward the sound, spooked.

"Whose there?" Twilight called out.

They all waited anxiously for whoever it was to come out of the shadows and were surprised by the sudden arrival of a familiar purple and green puppy that was barking and wagging his tail at them as he appeared.

"Huh?" They all remarked.

"Is that…" Twilight began.

"Hey! That's the alternate me!" Spike remarked, as the dog version of Spike approached and sniffed him all around. "Uh… make me stop… getting pretty uncomfortable here…"

The girls giggled in response. Then Puppy Spike suddenly started to sniff Equestria Spike's behind while his eyes widened in horror before he quickly scurried away.

"Ok… I think I've had enough of this place… can we go now?" he asked.

"Not yet, we still don't have any leads on where the other Twilight could be." The Princess said before she noticed the other Spike barking happily at her and wagging his tail, believing that his owner had finally returned home.

"Easy Other Spike, that's not who you think it is." Spike told his alternate self. Puppy Spike then whined upon hearing this while Princess Twilight picked him up and petted him.

"It's ok boy, we'll get your Twilight back, I promise." Twilight assured Puppy Spike while she petted him gently.

Sunset smiled at this and then noticed the broken piece of the pendant that the Human version of Twilight broke. She walked over to it.

"What's _this_?" Sunset wondered as she picked up the red gem. Fluttershy seemed to recognize it.

"Hey… that's a piece of the Dazzling's pendant!" she realized.

"So she really _did _get infected by its dark power!" Twilight deduced.

"Ok, so how do we get it out of her?" Rainbow asked.

"I don't know… but don't worry, I'll figure it out." Twilight assured them. "But first we need to _find_ her."

"It's gonna be hard." Applejack said.

"Yeah, she could anywhere." Fluttershy agreed.

"Then we'll have to search everywhere!" Rainbow declared.

Sunset thought for a minute. "Maybe we don't have to…" she said, causing everyone to turn to her, intrigued.

"What do you mean?" Princess Twilight asked, curiously.

"Well… she is _you_… maybe your connected in some way. All you got to do is concentrate and _maybe_ you could link _your_ mind to _hers_." Sunset suggested. "It's worth a try."

"Yeah… your right! I _am_ connected to her, I just need to concentrate and I'll be able to lock on to her with my mind." Princess Twilight said, inspired.

"Alright!" Rainbow Dash cheered, pleased. "Finally, we got a chance!"

"Hold on, let me concentrate first." Twilight told her as she pressed her hands together and closed her eyes as she began to concentrate on her other half. The others waited for her to respond, but it took quite a while.

"Is she done yet?" Pinkie Pie asked. Twilight shushed her, but she only stayed quiet for a short time. "How about now?"

"Pinkie!" They all hissed, annoyed.

"Sorry!" The party girl whispered.

Twilight then resumed concentrating and eventually, inside her mind, she found a field of energy similar to her own and quickly traced it back to its source. Her eyes widened.

"Alright, I found her." Twilight declared.

"Great! Where is she?" Sunset inquired.

"Out causing trouble in the city again, somewhere close to where you encountered her last time we got to stop her before she hurts anyone else." Twilight said, firmly.

"Then what are we waiting for? Christmas?" Rainbow asked, incredulously. "Let's go take her down!"

"Right… what's Christmas?" Twilight asked, confused.

"Uh… long story…" Rarity replied.

"Good story." Fluttershy smiled.

"Focus ya'll! Let's go!" Applejack told them all as they began running, Puppy Spike started to follow them but Twilight turned to him.

"Spike… _stay_," she ordered. The two Spikes then stopped and sat down. She turned to the Equestria Spike. "No _you_, Spike. _Him_!"

"Oh, right!" Equestria Spike said. "Sorry about that. Come on!"

Princess Twilight and her loyal assistant then ran off with the others while the human world's Spike sat down and whined before watching them leave.

* * *

><p>While the girls, and Spike, began to make their way to the other Twilight's location, the Princess of Friendship's currently evil twin was out in the city wreaking havoc as she flew over the city below. She continuously fired dark magic bolts and beams from her hands and eyes, which caused explosions and buildings to get blow apart while the citizens below attempted to flee. The other Twilight laughed sadistically as this happened below her.<p>

She also now wear a dark version of the clothes Princess Twilight wears when she visits the other world, which consisted of a black blouse a red ribbon around her neck, a cobalt blue skirt with a black six pointed star surrounded by five purple stars on the side. She also wore purple and cobalt blue legwarmers and black shoes on her feet.

Her dark energy then literally ripped through the streets, knocking down telephone poles and electrical wires. They also caused some gas stations to explode, and as such part of the city was set ablaze.

Several police vehicles drove toward her but the Evil Twilight saw them coming from a mile away and magically manipulated them to drive right into the walls of buildings close by them, thankfully nobody was hurt but she still laughed sadistically at his.

* * *

><p>Nearby, after making their way past some burning cars and fleeing passerby's rushing away from the towers of smoke and explosions behind them, the most of the girls, and Spike, rode in Sunset Shimmer's car while the rest came on their bikes. When they got close enough, they all got out of the car and off their bikes and looked toward the direction of the explosions that were up ahead.<p>

"Ok, this is it, girls." Twilight announced. "Just remember, let _me_ try to reason with her. I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"And what exactly do you plan to do once you reach her?" Rainbow questioned.

"Yeah, how are you going to get the dark magic out of her?" Applejack added.

"I'm not quite sure… but I think if I can harness and use the magic of friendship deep within me, I can expel the dark magic in _this_ Twilight," she explained. "Now where is she anyway?"

They glanced around left and right and eventually, one of them spotted her close by.

"There she is!" Applejack cried, pointing up ahead.

Twilight looked in the direction she was pointing in and much to her shock she saw her other world counterpart causing chaos and destruction all over town. It baffled her that she looked so much like her and yet looked so… _mean_.

"That's _me_…" Princess Twilight gasped.

"Told you she looked freaky…" Rainbow said, leaning toward her closely.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity scolded. "Let's not go down to the bad Twilight's level."

"Hey! Fashioniesta Girl! I can smell that ugly outfit all the way from here!" The bad Twilight called out, mockingly, which enraged Rarity.

"Why you…!" she began as she began to stomp over, only to be stopped by the Good Twilight, who the other Twilight couldn't see at the time.

"Easy Rarity, don't let… _me_ get to you," she told her.

"Great… she's spotted us…" Applejack said, dismayed. "But lucky for us she doesn't seem to have that good of an attention span, seeing she's about to destroy a whole _building_."

The others turned and saw that the other Twilight was now holding her hands up toward a building right in front of her, preparing to knock it down just as Applejack said. They all gasped.

"I gotta stop her!" Princess Twilight said, determined.

"What are you gonna do?" Fluttershy asked.

"What I do best; lecture her!" The Equestrian Twilight declared.

"Seriously?" Rainbow questioned, deadpan.

"Nope, she's not kidding." Spike confirmed.

"Great… we're doomed…" she commented.

"Ignoring that." Twilight said, annoyed. "So… anything else?"

"Just one. Remember Twilight; she may _look_ like you but in a lot of ways… she is _not_ like you." Sunset Shimmer told her. "She's not evil she's just… she's just lost too much. Ok?"

Princess Twilight nodded, understandingly. "Ok," she said, before turning towards her other self. "I'm going in!"

Twilight then started to quickly run over to her counterpart while everyone watched her go, worried. As she made her way over, her other self looked up at a tall building towering over and got an awful idea as smiled wickedly at the tower before her.

"Hmm, I wonder how many people will notice me once I knock _this_ building over!? Time to find out!" The Evil Twilight said as she prepared to blast the building. Not noticing her other self running over to her.

"STOP!" she yelled, which caught the other Twilight's attention.

"Who dares…" The Alternate Twilight before she gasped in shock upon seeing Princess Twilight. She ceased her attacks and turned to other self looking stunned. To both of them it felt like they were looking in a mirror and seemed almost unbelievable. Princess Twilight then spoke.

"Twilight, you've got to listen to me!" Princess Twilight told her alternate self.

"Who are _you_? I mean, you're me, but I'm me too. How can there be two me's? It's not scientifically possible. _You_ are not scientifically possible!" Demon Twilight proclaimed. She then felt a strong pain inside her. "But for some reason… I'm getting a bad vibe from you… _I don't like it_."

"Please! Listen! This is going to sound crazy and not make a lot of sense, but I'm from another world." Princess Twilight Sparkle told her.

"Another _what_?" Alternate Twilight said, stunned.

"Another world, it's called Equestria and their I'm… a pony." Twilight Sparkle admitted, sheepishly.

"WHAT!?" The other Twilight yelled.

"Yeah, shocking but true." Rainbow Dad confirmed.

"I… I can't believe it… that's not… no… NO! Lies! Lies! Everything you say is a big fat lie!" The other Twilight snapped as she promptly blasted a nearby bus stand into smithereens, stunning them.

"Wow, isn't she a spazzy one?" Pinkie Pie remarked, wide-eyed.

"Look Twilight, the dark magic you were exposed to didn't just effect your body, it's also twisted your mind! You have to let me…" Princess Twilight began.

"Wrong! I don't have to do _anything_ for _anyone_ anymore!" Her evil self snapped. "That's the old me. Always trying to please people and get people to acknowledge me for once. Well, they never did! But it doesn't matter now. I now have the power to make things better. Well… better for _me_. Not so good for _you_."

"No Twilight! You don't have to do this! There are other ways to get people to notice you! You can make friends! Don't make the same mistakes I almost made!" Twilight pleaded her alternate self. "If I hadn't made friends I would have never have gotten to where I am now!"

"And where is _that_ I may ask?" Evil Twilight questioned.

"Uh… becoming a Princess?" Equestria Twilight replied, sheepishly.

"A _Princess_!?" Demon Twilight exclaimed. "You're saying I'm a _Princess_ in another world!?"

"Yep! The Princess of Friendship!" Rainbow Dash said, proudly while Spike did some fanfare. Twilight blushed a bit.

"So in one universe… I'm a nobody… but in another… I'm a Princess…" The other Twilight muttered, trying to process the information given to her.

The human version of Twilight lowered and began shaking a bit, to anybody else it seemed that she was crying. Princess Twilight quickly became worried.

"Hey… are you ok?" Listen it's going to be ok just…" she began before she then heard a chuckling.

The corrupted Twilight then raised her head and let out a deranged laugh that spooked everybody present, especially Fluttershy. She soon stopped.

An evil smile then appeared on the alternate Twilight's face. "I see… it all makes sense now," she said.

"Huh?" Princess Twilight asked, confused. "What do you mean exactly?"

"Well… it's a long story but… did you know that every time somebody makes a choice, the world pretty much copies itself?" The other Twilight asked. "There are probably billions of other worlds too, some so similar to each other you could spend a lifetime looking for any distinction. Others so radically different… they defy comprehension. And _this_ world is the original. Or at least that's my general theory."

"Hmm… interesting…" Princess Twilight admitted.

Behind her, the others were trying, and failing, to understand even _half_ of what the alternate Twilight just said.

"Billons of… what?" Rainbow asked, confused.

"Ooh… my brain hurts…" Pinkie groaned.

"Not surprising, if I explain this to you any further it would your tiny brain _explode_." The other Twilight stated, before she teleported in front of Pinkie, startling her a bit before saying. "Boo," she said, smiling.

Pinkie Pie yelped, frightened and hid behind her friends, looking just as scared as Fluttershy was.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Princess Twilight told her alternate self "This is between you and me! So let's settle this!"

"Indeed… it _is_ between the two of us, which is why this is so important… why thanks to _you_… the answer is now clear." The demonic Twilight mused.

"What answer is clear?" Princess Twilight inquired.

"I've always wondered if there were other worlds out there, with an infinite number of me's, always wondering which was the _real_ one…" Human Twilight began.

"But?" Princess Twilight asked, expectedly as she narrowed her eyes.

"But the reality is I'm the _real_ you." Human Twilight declared. "And I am _not_ gonna let you get rid of me you fake!"

"I am _not_ a fake!" Equestria Twilight protested.

"Then prove it! Face me in a magical duel _now_!" Demon Twilight ordered.

"A magical duel!?" Twilight gasped.

"Yes! Based on my calculations you still have that magic you used to create those events inside you, all you have to do is tap into it and we can begin!" Alternate Twilight stated.

"No! I will not! There's no point in it!" Princess Twilight denied. "All I'm doing is trying to _help_ you, so please… let me in!"

"Don't give me that! I won't allow it… I'll _never_ allow it!" Demon Twilight growled. "Hatred! _That_ is what the world is full of, not pathetic things like 'friendship'! Darkness is the truth of the world! It's _my_ truth! You _are_ me! But _I'm_ the one whose actually lived a life of loneliness and hardship while _you've_ lived an easy life of love and happiness, things that are so unreal here it's sad! _My_ life is real! Your just… a fake!"

"No! I told you, I'm _not_ a fake!" Princess Twilight Sparkle insisted.

"Deny it all you like, your existence makes me nauseous anyway. It's like I have goosebumps all over my body! You _sicken_ me!" The corrupted Twilight stated, disgusted. "_That_ is why I cannot allow you exist any longer. Then after I'm finished with you I'm coming for your _friends_. Won't be much of a fight if they lose _you_."

The Evil Twilight blasted a spot near them, making them all jump. Her words and threat's made the Princess start to pant and caused her eyes to widen fearfully.

"Your… your mad!" Princess Twilight gasped.

"No… I'm _you_!" Evil Twilight said, pointing at her, maliciously. "Remember? Or more accurately… _I'm_ the original, _you're the_ copy!"

"You can't honestly believe that can you?" The Princess questioned.

"What? Does the truth hurt Princess? Don't worry, what _I_ have planned… is gonna hurt _more_." Demon Twilight laughed.

"Boy, she really _is_ nuttier then a fruit cake!" Pinkie remarked.

"I'll say!" Applejack agreed.

"That's what I've been saying this whole time!" Rainbow proclaimed.

"So no matter what I say you won't fight back?" The evil Twilight questioned.

"You know me better than _that_!" The good Twilight shot back.

Evil Twilight snarled and then spotted a young couple that happened to be watching, she held out her hand toward them and much to their surprise they were surrounded by a dark magical aura and started floating over to her, screaming in fear and terror.

"I _know_ you fake, you see like you I used to _care_ about others. I thought doing nice things for them would get them to notice me…" Evil Twilight admitted as she stroked the male's face with a nasty but seductive grin. "Obvious how _that_ turned out, huh?"

"Let them go!" Princess Twilight yelled.

"Make me!" Demon Twilight spat.

"Hey… I think I had the same conversation in the second grade!" Pinkie realized. "See, I was…"

"We don't care!" They all exclaimed, annoyed.

"So 'Twilight'… what's it gonna be?" Demon Twilight questioned.

Twilight looked at the scared people levitating in the air and quickly made her decision.

"Alright _me_… let's _duel_!" Twilight Sparkle declared.

"Excellent!" The corrupted Twilight smiled, as she released the hostages. She and the Princess of Friendship readied themselves. "Draw!"

Dark Twilight charged up the dark magic in her fists while Princess Twilight concentrated hard and managed to harness the magic inside of her, which was also generated in her fists, she then gained her pony ears, wings and ponytail extension.

"Ooh, looks like it's Twilight… against… Twilight…" Pinkie said, starting to sound confused.

"Yeah, we may all need therapy after this." Applejack remarked.

"At least it isn't hard to tell those two apart." Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"Got that right." Spike agreed.

Both Twilight's then fired bolts of magical energy from their hands, the blasts quickly canceled each other out when they both collided. This continued for a while, with the other Twilight matching the Princess move for move. It soon turned into a sort of laser tag between the two as they began running and firing at each other until they got close enough to each other. At which point Twilight caught her corrupted half's fist and then the two slammed their magically charged free fists into each other and knocked each other back a bit.

"Heh, heh, Not half bad, fake!" Demon Twilight remarked.

"Stop calling me that!" Princess Twilight said as she tried another magical trick. Several objects flew toward her evil alternate self but the demon girl just dodged them easily. "I'm sorry this happened to you… but I'm not gonna let you hurt anyone else!"

"Ha! You say that like you have a _choice_!" The Evil Twilight remarked as she fired a bolt of dark magical lightning, which Twilight barely managed to dodge. "Everyone I have ever known as either ignored me, turned their backs on me or failed me. My parents, my brother, Sunset Shimmer… _you_! So all you losers can just shut up!Now hold still so can vaporize you!"

She then brought more dark magical bolts down on Princess Twilight as she ran for her life. Then then stopped, kneeled down, then held up her hands and created a magical barrier around herself as one bolt nearly hit her.

Twilight then stood up and began making multiple movement with her hands as she levitated several objects right at her other self, but the Evil Twilight mimicked her every move and the objects collided into each other one after the other. It was like Princess Twilight was fighting a mirror.

"This Twilight's _talented_…" Sunset Shimmer observed.

"They're _equal_!" Fluttershy realized.

"But that's _impossible!_" Rarity remarked.

"Yeah, Twilight's supposed to be the best there is when it comes to magic!" Applejack pointed out. "So how come _this_ Twilight is so good at it? Why she didn't even _believe_ in magic until just a few days ago."

The other Twilight backed up and laughed a bit, hearing their conversation. "I guess I'm a natural," she smirked before casually dodging some more objects being hurled at her. "Ha, ha, too slow Princess."

"Argh…! How can she be so _relaxed_…?!" Rainbow questioned, frustrated. "She's dueling Twilight, a master of magic and she's perfectly calm!"

Demon Twilight overhead her again and smirked. "Because it doesn't matter how hard she tries, she'll never stop me! Never! But I'll stop _her_. Stop from existing that is."

The Evil Twilight the created a ball of dark magic and then waved her hand creating a dark energy wave that knocked Princess Twilight right off her feet and sent her rolling across the ground.

"Twilight! Are you ok?" Applejack called out. Twilight then slowly got up.

"I am… but she's more powerful than I thought!" Princess Twilight remarked.

Demon Twilight laughed. "You still don't get it, do you? It's pointless. Give up now!"

Princess Twilight stood back up and stood her ground. "I never give up!" she proclaimed, before running toward her

"Good! Neither do I!" Demon Twilight declared, as she ran toward her other self as well. When they both neared each other, they drew back their fists and punched each other right in the cheek at the exact same time but only the Evil Twilight's attack managed to knock the good Twilight away.

"Twilight, no!" Rainbow cried out, as she rolled across the ground again.

"Oh no…" Fluttershy whimpered before turning to Rarity, who held her close and comforted her.

"It's alright, darling…" she said.

"Yeah, don't count Twilight out just yet!" Spike added, confidently. "She's got this!"

Princess Twilight's eyes then glowed. "Ok me… I didn't want it to come to this but it looks like I'll have to knock some sense into you in order to save you!""

The Princess then raised her arms and caused all the broken toys, rocks and other pieces of the area around them to levitate upward and quickly swirl around and around until they created a whirlwind of junk.

"Take _this_!" The Friendship Princess declared as she launched the whirlwind of items at her corrupted counterpart who merely raised a hand and stopped it, mid-swirl right before it hit her.

"Nice try, but not good enough to defeat _me_," she smirked, evilly as the objects all dropped at her feet. Everyone gasped in shock.

"Impossible!" Princess Twilight remarked as her evil half laughed at her.

"Come at me however you want. Nothing's gonna work against me anyway." Demon Twilight told Princess Twilight, smugly "You can't get rid of me. I know you better than you know yourself. I see that now… and now I _do_… I can _eliminate_ you!"

The Evil Twilight then did a finger gun sign with both hands and began firing little bolts of concentrated dark magic at her other self. Princess Twilight then held up a hand and created a shield to block them, then used both hands but eventually the shield shattered and she rolled across the ground again before standing up on her knees.

"This is crazy! All this destruction… it's not helping _anyone_!" Princess Twilight told her evil self, as she levitated a manhole and threw it at her. But Evil Twilight easily caught it.

"Wasn't really trying to!" she said as she threw it back. Twilight ducked while it struck the ground near some people, frightening them into leaving.

"See what you're doing!? You don't care _who_ gets caught in the middle of your grudge match!" Princess Twilight stated. "These are _people_, Twilight! People with lives, with families, with _friends_ that love them! Your gonna really hurt them!"

"I'm _sick_ of friends!" Demon Twilight roared. "I never had any or _needed_ any to begin with!"

The evil Twilight sees a bunch of fleeing people and magical hurls parts of the ground at them, which the Princess of Friendship managed to stop and divert away from them in time.

"Well just because you never had them doesn't give you the right to take them from anyone else!" Princess Twilight stated to Demon Twilight, firmly. "Friendship is much more powerful than you think!"

"Hey, nobody ever cared about _me_ so why should I care about _them_?" Demon Twilight pointed out. "We may look and act the same… but the truth is… you don't know _anything_ about me!"

She then furiously fires another ball of dark magic at Princess Twilight who then jumped and rolled right out of the way before it hit.

"That's it! I know hard things have been for you but it's time for me to _end_ this duel!" Princess Twilight declared, determined.

"I couldn't agree more!" Her corrupted self stated, grinning wickedly. "But you better make darn sure that you destroy me, because if you _don't_… I'm going to destroy _you_… and then… _everyone else_."

"You'll try! Because Friendship is _Magic_!" The good Twilight stated loudly as she raised her hands and created a large ball of light purple magical energy. The evil Twilight copied her and smiled wickedly before throwing it right at her, Princess Twilight did the same and their two attacks quickly clashed, resulting in an explosion. Everyone shielded themselves from the blast wave as it created a bright flash of light and then a huge cloud of smoke. They all coughed on the smoke and blew it out of their faces.

"Twilight?" Rainbow Dash called out.

The girls waited until the smoke finally cleared up, allowing them to see the two Twilight's, but much to their horror they saw their friend Twilight with a spear of dark energy impaled through her chest, courtesy of her dark human half. Fluttershy gasped sharply quickly turned away and covered her eyes from the sight, whimpering in fear

"Twilight!" The others all yelled.

"Game… _over_." Demon Twilight sang, with a wicked smile. The others then began to rush over to the Princess while the Demon Twilight removed the energy spear, causing the other Twilight to hold her chest and dropped to her knees, looking very weakened while her ears, tail and wings all vanished. "So magic for your precious 'magic of friendship."

While was no visible injury or blood on her, but by the wide-eyed look on Princess Twilight's face and her constant shaking, to her it sure _felt_ like she had just been skewered. The girls quickly gathered around looking worried.

"Oh no, Twilight!" Spike cried.

"Are you ok?" Fluttershy asked, concerned.

"Speak to us, Twilight!" Rainbow pleaded

"Yeah… I'm fine… but… my body… I can't felt anything anymore…" Princess Twilight said, holding her left arm. "And it's… hard to… breath…"

"Hang in there, Twi." Applejack told her, comfortingly.

"I don't it. She was impaled… why isn't she bleeding?" Pinkie questioned.

"It must have been a spiritual stab instead of a physical one." Sunset Shimmer deduced.

"A spiritual stab?" Fluttershy echoed.

"It's basically attacks the person's very spirit, they don't get injured at all… but their spirit's still feel the pain, anymore so… and the person could _expire_." Sunset said, grimly.

"Oh dear…" Rarity expressed, concerned.

Demon Twilight then dropped to her knees, exhausted also. "Huff… huff… Not bad. I'm just about exhausted. Heh. Just what I'd expect from me."

"I'm _not_ you…" Twilight breathed.

"You _are_ me. I _am_ you. The _true_ Twilight Sparkle! A God of Destruction!" The evil human Twilight proclaimed.

"No… it's not… IT'S NOT!" Twilight said, her other self's words were obviously getting to her. "It's not… it's not…"

"Yeah, yeah, keep on denying it. Now hold still…" Dark Twilight said as she created another sphere of dark magic only to stop when suddenly Pinkie throws a fist full of sparkly dust into her eyes, blinding her. "Can't see!"

"What was…" Rainbow began.

"Pixie Dust! Never know when you'll need it, except if you know your gonna throw a party that is!" Pinkie beamed.

"Good work Pinkie, now let's move it, Twilight's hurt pretty bad." Applejack told them.

"Running away _again_, aw man this is just embarrassing!" Rainbow complained.

"Well it allows us to keep on breathing then I say… _head for the hills_!" Rarity yelled, as she ran.

"You heard her, move!" Sunset said to them as they began to leave.

"Alright, come on Twi." Applejack said as she and Rainbow put her arms over their shoulders and began to carry her away as they all ran off.

"That's right! Go ahead and run! Cling to your wretched lives you cowards! Not that'll do you any good! I'll _find_ you!" she said.

"Stop… stop it…" Twilight whimpered.

"Just admit it… you _are_ me. But you're just… a _fake_."

That was the last thing Princess Twilight heard before her evil human self vanished from sight as the girls continued to drag her away from the scene of the battle.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Author's Note: This chapter uses little bits of inspiration and references from various forms of media that I like, admire and honor but I do not own them. This is not for profit, it is merely for fun.<strong>**

****Song played during the fight: 45 by Shinedown.****


	10. Picking up the Pieces

**Chapter 10**

Elsewhere, in the home of none other than Flash Sentry himself, the blue haired guitar player was currently lost in his thoughts as he sat in the living room on his comfortable looking armchair dangled the pendant given to him by his mother in front of his face while he thought about a certain friend from 'out of town'. The first time they met, when they danced at the formal and eventually sang together in the restaurant, and on a minor note the fact that they never actually had dinner like they planned. He sighed.

Just then a knock snapped him out of his stupor. He turned to the door which was right near the living room.

"Who is it?" he asked.

The door then opened and much to his surprise, his ex-girlfriend and her friends, the Rainboom's appeared on the other side, along with a weakened looking Twilight, which made him stand up.

"Sunset Shimmer? …Twilight!?" Flash gasped. "What's going…"

"Hey Flash, could you help us?" Sunset asked as the others helped the injured Princes Twilight inside.

"So _this_ is Flash's house…" Twilight mused, still looking completely worn out.

"Yeah, yeah, it's a dream come true for you and I hope you guys will be really happy together." Rainbow Dash said, sarcastically.

"We get it Rainbow, you're not interested in relationships." Applejack said, annoyed.

"Huh? Really? Well, that explains why she never needed the company of a man!" Pinkie remarked, sounding genuinely surprised while Rainbow glared at her, agitated.

"Twilight! What's wrong?! What happened?!" Flash asked, worried as he rushed to her.

"I just… dueled… my other self… and lost…" Princess Twilight panted, exhausted.

"The other you?" Flash echoed. "What did she do to you?"

"To be blunt; she beat her up." Rainbow stated.

"Not now Rainbow…" Applejack told her, annoyed.

"I was trying to…" Rainbow began before Fluttershy put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a sad look, which she seemed to understand.

"What _did_ happen out there, Twilight?" Applejack asked her. "I thought you had the upper hand on her."

"I don't know… she was just always one step ahead of me, like she was constantly reading my mind…" Twilight breathed, before groaning.

"Come on, let's get you onto the couch." Flash said, quickly as he began to guide her towards his living room where he helped her sit down on his couch. "There you go."

"Thank you." Twilight said, gratefully.

"Do you need anything? Some tea? Anything?" Flash asked, worried.

"No… I'm ok…" Twilight sighed.

"You don't _sound_ ok…" Flash pointed out, as the others all walked in.

"Yeah, you sound like you just failed an exam or something." Rainbow pointed out before both Rarity and Applejack nudged her hard, looking annoyed.

"I just can't believe I _lost_ like that… the one thing in this world that I'm good at… I failed miserably…" Princess Twilight said, depressed.

"Hey, you were unprepared, but I'm sure you'll get her next time, I mean…" Flash began.

"No. No, it won't do any good… you see… we have the exact same strength. We used the same spells, the same tactics, same tricks, everything is identical about us!" Princess Twilight expressed. "We'd be fighting each other forever!"

"Oh dear…" Fluttershy said, concerned.

"I'd knock her down… and then she'd just get right back up again…! And she kept saying all this nasty stuff to me too…!" Princess Twilight said, stressed with tears threatening to pour.

Flash looked at her understandingly. "So she used psychological attacks, too… huh? That's a rough opponent. But you need to deal with that dark you, or else…" he began.

"Everyone is doomed…" Twilight finished, grimly. She lowered her head, depressed. "Maybe friendship _isn't_ all that powerful… it can't even save this poor version of me…"

"No. You can't believe that!" Sunset told her, firmly.

"How was she able to know what you were planning to do anyway? And how'd she know all your tricks?" Rainbow questioned.

"She must have… got them from my mind… when I tried to connect to hers, it's a two way street… I get info from _her_ and she…" Equestria Twilight started to say

"Gets information from _you_ as well…" Sunset Shimmer finished, solemnly. Twilight Sparkle lowered her head shamefully and put a hand on it.

"This is all my fault… if I hadn't…" Princess Twilight began.

"_No_. It wasn't your fault, it was _my_ idea, not yours. I should have found a better method…" Sunset sighed.

"Well, nothing's ever perfect." Applejack shrugged.

"Hate to remind you, but that plan caused us to run with our tails between our legs… again!" Rainbow proclaimed.

"Only because _I_ wasn't strong enough." Twilight said, depressed.

"So what then? We run and hide forever?" Sunset questioned her, incredulously.

"It seems that's our only option…" The Princess said, glumly.

Sunset sighed, pressed her back against the wall and slid down. "Great… when I woke up a few days ago, all I worried about was graduation and that stupid speech… now there's an evil Twilight on the loose that we can't stop…" she said, sulking.

"Well, it sounds bad when you say it like _that_." Pinkie pointed out.

"It _is_ that bad, Pinkie!" Rainbow stated. "The other Twilight's gone crazy and we're hiding in _this_ dump! Uh… no offence, Flash."

"None taken…" Flash said, slowly.

"Sunset Shimmer's right, we have to run. We have to hide. We _can't_ beat her." Twilight said, depressed.

"Twilight, you can't one little failure ruin your whole perspective." Rarity stated.

"She's right, I'm sure you'll be able to get her next time." Fluttershy added, hopefully.

"Next time? Yeah… if I can actually figure out a way to _beat her_, but what are the chances of _that_ happening?" Twilight asked, glumly.

"Well, we'll _never_ beat her if you keep sulking like this!" Rainbow expressed.

"She's right, you're still the most powerful magical gal we know and we just _know_ come out on top next time!" Applejack agreed. The others nodded and voiced their agreement as well.

"Look, thanks for trying to help but… I need to be alone…" Twilight said, sadly as she left the room. The others all watched her go, sympathetically.

* * *

><p>Sometime later, Twilight was outside on the back porch of the house and leaning slightly over the wooden railing while looking out toward the starry with a depressed and emotionless look on her face. It seemed Twilight was truly hurt not just physically but also spiritually and mentally. From behind her, Spike walked over and stood in front of the door frame, looking very worried.<p>

"Uh… Twilight?"

Twilight knew he was there and approaching her but didn't turn around. "Oh, hi Spike."

"Are you ok?" he inquired.

"I'm fine." The Princess said, though she clearly didn't sound fine _at all_, just like Flash said.

"Twilight…" Spike began. Twilight sighed, deeply.

"How could I have let this happen, Spike?" Princess Twilight asked, depressed. "I'm supposed to be the Princess of Friendship and yet… the magic of Friendship wasn't enough to stop the other Twilight… maybe it can't solve everything after all…"

"Twilight, you can't think like that, you _know_ that's not true." Spike told her, firmly.

"Oh really? The magic of friendship couldn't save our home from being destroyed, or stop Discord from betraying us at all and now it couldn't even stop _myself_!" Twilight said, before she pounded the railing in frustration. She sighed. "Face it Spike… I'm in over my head here…"

Twilight closed her eyes and lowered her head over the railing sadly, while Spike looked at her with pity and his ears drooped. He then noticed two certain somebodies approaching.

"Twilight?"

The Princess turned a bit and noticed Sunset and Flash standing at the doorway, she then turned around fully, looking surprised.

"Flash… Sunset Shimmer… what are you doing here?" Princess Twilight asked.

"We came to talk to you." Sunset Shimmer told her.

"About what?" Princess Twilight inquired.

"Same reason as Spike." Sunset stated.

"We know your depressed and all but… we _need_ you Twilight." Flash said, firmly.

"_No_. You _don't_." Twilight stated.

"We _do_, if it weren't for you I'd still be a witch with _zero_ friends, I may only still have a few _now_… but it's a big accomplishment for me, and it's all thanks to _you_." Sunset Shimmer told her.

"It's just like Rarity said, you can't let this get you down." Flash told her.

"I know… but I just don't think I can beat her… she's too strong… too _crazy_." Twilight expressed.

"Ok, so where so you think you went wrong last time?" Sunset asked, folding her arms.

"I guess… I couldn't handle the possibility that I might have a darkness inside of me…" Twilight admitted, shamefully.

"Twilight, there's a darkness inside of _all_ of us… trust me… I speak from personal experience." Sunset said, solemnly. "When I put on your crown it showed everyone what I really was inside… a monster… and right now I would do _anything_ to take back all the horrible things I did. But unfortunately that's the past. _You_ defeated me and _everyone_ who's ever threatened Equestria and _you_ made it safe again. It's time to start letting go."

Twilight look her words to heart and sighed. "I know…"

"Look Twilight, I know how you feel… I felt the same way when my mother passed away…" Flash expressed. "But you know how I got through it?"

"How?" Twilight questioned, interested.

"Simple; I remembered that I still had my friends." Flash replied. Twilight looked at him shocked and with wide eyes as memories of her friends flashed in her mind. She remembered Applejack keeping her from falling and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy catching her during their trip to find the Elements. She also remembered Rarity making her dress and Fluttershy talking down the cockatrice that had turned her to stone plus Spike helping her get the Crystal Heart to Cadance. Her whole face brightened up.

"Your right… of course! I may have lost a lot during my time as a Princess… but I still have my friends! They haven't given up on me! And _I_ can't give up on them either!" Twilight stated. "For if you only fight for yourself… you'll _never_ be strong!"

"That's right." Sunset nodded.

"I can't give up now! Not when there's so much at stake! My friends need me, _you guys_ need me and I won't let _any_ of you down!" Twilight declared. Spike, Flash and Sunset smiled, pleased that the old Twilight was back.

"Glad to have you back, Twilight. So what's the plan?" Sunset Shimmer asked, interested.

"We fight back against the alternate Twilight one more time, but this time… we do it _together_!" Princess Twilight declared, determinedly.

"Now _that's_ a plan I can get behind." Sunset declared.

"Alright, let's do it!" Flash said, pumped.

Twilight turned to Flash, looking serious. "Flash, I need you to stay here."

"No, I'm coming with you." Flash insisted. "I can help!"

"_No_ Flash, you're staying here. Unlike me and the Rainboom's you don't have magic, and I couldn't forgive myself if I got you hurt." Princess Twilight told Flash.

Flash sighed. "Ok…" he said, he turned to Sunset Shimmer. "You'll look after her?"

Sunset Shimmer nodded. "Always."

"Thanks… I owe ya." Flash told his ex-girlfriend, gratefully.

"Don't mention it." Sunset said. "Now come on, let's go rejoin the others. They're waiting."

The four of them then began to walk back into the house, and the three teenagers each shared a smile with each other, showing that there was no awkwardness between the three of them, anymore.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, while the Good Twilight was currently picking up the pieces and healing her own spirit, the now Evil Human version of her flew over the dark city while the moon shined over her, making her look like a menacing bird of prey. She seemed to be looking for something and she appeared to be growing more and more frustrated.<p>

"Ugh! Darn that prissy little Princess who calls herself _me_. How was she able to sever the link we have after establishing it so easy? Now I can't find her and teach her a lesson!" The Alternate Twilight grumbled. "No matter, I can still find what I'm _really_ looking for."

The corrupted Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated hard as she pressed both her hands together. She flew with her eyes closed for some time until she finally opened them and began to see thin lines of magic moving in one direction, like wires connected to a big piece of electrical equipment.

"Yes… I can feel the magic flowing towards it… in fact I can _see_ it!" Dark Twilight declared, before flying downward to what appeared to be Canterlot High School

When soon landed right in front of what appeared to be the horse statue out in the front of the school, AKA the portal to Equestria, and the Dark Twilight seemed to know that it was.

"_There you are_…" she hissed as she eyed the portal while licking her lips with a hungry and evil grin.

* * *

><p>While the other Twilight was messing with the portal, the rest of the Rainboom's were all waiting for Twilight and the others to get back and Rainbow was beginning to become impatient.<p>

"Ugh! What's taking them? How long can it take to give someone a pep talk?" Rainbow Dash questioned.

"In this case… a while." Applejack stated.

"Indeed, _I_ am still shaken by what happened during our last battle. One can only _imagine_ how _Twilight_ must be faring." Rarity expressed.

"Yeah, she must be really scared." Fluttershy said, sympathetically.

"No kidding! That alternate version of her was _scary!_" Pinkie cried.

"Still… I thought she would have put herself back together by _now_." Rainbow pointed out.

"Trauma tends to _linger_, Rainbow. Not that you would know, Sally." Applejack told her, sternly, which made Rainbow Dash lower her head looking somewhat guilty. Just then they noticed Twilight walking forward with Flash, Sunset and Spike and smiled brightly.

"Twilight! Your back!" Rainbow cried.

"Are you ok?" Fluttershy asked.

"Not quite but… I'm getting better. Don't worry." Princess Twilight assured them, gently. "Right now, we need to figure out our next move against the Evil Twilight."

"Sounds good." Rarity nodded, pleased.

"Well, we know she's gonna make a move and we gotta stop her once she does." Applejack stated.

"Ok, so how do we find her?" Rainbow Dash inquired. "We can't have Twilight link up with her again."

"She's right, she'll know we're coming." Princess Twilight agreed.

"We need someone who can _understand_ this new and evil Twilight, or rather… certain _people_ who _think_ like her…" Sunset Shimmer said, thoughtfully.

"Yeah… but where are we gonna find people like that?" Pinkie Pie asked, stumped.

Sunset thought for a bit, and then an idea popped into her head. "I think I have an idea…" she said, with a serious face.


	11. Enemy of my Enemy

**Chapter 11**

Elsewhere, in a downtrodden part of town and inside a decrepit looking apartment, three girls in hoods were sitting, or laying in the dark of their old apartment home. They were the Dazzlings, and it was safe to see that they had fallen pretty far since their defeat a year ago. Their leader Adagio sat in the corner brooding, Aria sat against the wall and did her nails while the always blissful Sonata laid on her back on an old bed while playing with a toy, which she held in air, chewing gum and humming a cheery tune.

Aria sighed. "Life's not fair… I didn't believe then but I do now…"

"Quit your complaining Aria, were _all_ in the same boat here."

"No thanks to _you_." The grumpy girl scowled.

"Here we go." Adagio rolled her eyes.

"_You_ let the Raingoon's get the best of us and _you_ caused them to get us to lose our voices! Now we can't even have _fast food_ let alone a _meal_." Aria said, exasperated.

"It's just a minor setback." Adagio defended.

"Yeah, that's what you said _last week_." Aria pointed out

"And the week before that… and the week before that." Sonata added.

"Shut up, Sonata!" The others both yelled, causing her to drop her toy.

Adagio groaned. "As bad as things are now with all of us powerless and _me_ stuck with _you two_… things could _not_ get any worse…"

Suddenly, they heard the door knob moving and turned toward it, surprised. Sonata looked down, or up in her case, and much to their shock they saw the Rainboom's standing on the other side of it. Sonata yelped, startled and fell right off the bed where she hit the ground and ended up swallowing her wad of gum. She choked a bit and glared at them as they entered the room.

"Hey, don't ya _knock_!?" she exclaimed, annoyed before standing up and putting her hands on her hips. Aria and Adagio walk forward as well, with Aria folding her and Adagio glaring at them angrily. Spike hid behind Twilight, fearfully.

The rest of the gang entered the old room as well and glared back at the Dazzlings while Spike growled at them, sensing their negative emotions Adagio managed to compose herself and smile evilly at them.

"Aw, what's the matter Rainboom's? Aren't you even going to say 'hello'?" Adagio asked, mockingly.

Rarity just huffed. "You wish."

"Adagio, Aria and Sonata." Sunset Shimmer said. "AKA The Dazzlings. So this is what happened to you three after you lost the battle of the bands. Never thought I'd see you three again like _this_."

"Yeah, whatever…" Aria grumbled.

"You're not really catching us at our best here." Adagio said, folding her arms. "Maybe if you _called_ first instead of just dropping by we'd be a little more… presentable. How'd you find us?"

"Well, I knew you weren't around CHS since you haven't shown up they're since the Battle and it took a lot of going through police reports about three teenage girls stealing food from local stores. Plus we had Spike track your scents." Sunset said. She glanced toward an empty pizza box. "Hard to believe you've been reduced to feeding off _that_ instead of negative energy."

"We all do what we must to survive." The leader of the Dazzlings stated.

"So… you all live _here_?" Twilight questioned in disbelief.

"No thanks to _you girls_." Adagio scowled.

"Please, you guys did that to yourselves when you tried to _brainwash_ everybody." Rainbow shot back.

"And you left us powerless and unable to sing anymore, so I hope your all happy." Adagio said, the distain in her voice was apparent.

"To be honest, I'm not." Princess Twilight confessed.

"I am!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Me too!" Spike voiced.

"Yeah, you guys were real meanies during the battle of the bands!" Pinkie added, angrily. The three villains just turned away and huffed arrogantly

"I don't even know _why_ we're even _bothering_ to ask for your help." Applejack remarked.

"Look, I don't like this anymore then you guys but you gotta remember that the Dazzlings aren't really a threat anymore, they're a nuisance." Sunset Shimmer pointed out. The Dazzlings just frowned at them in annoyance.

"No, you are!" Sonata shot back, childishly.

"What do you even _want_?" Aria asked, bitterly. "It's not like we have anything left, other than our looks anyway."

"Yeah…" Sonata nodded with a sad look.

"Listen, we need your help." Twilight Sparkle told them.

"_Our_ help?" Sonata asked, surprised. "Why?"

"Your pendants, the ones you used to absorb the negative energy from people at CHS, could they still have some life in them?" Sunset asked.

"Why do _you_ want to know?" Aria questioned.

"Just tell us already." Rainbow demanded.

"Why _should_ we?" Adagio inquired, raising a brow.

"What have you got lose?" Applejack pointed out.

"Besides your sense of fashion, which is winning by the way." Rarity said, gesturing to their hooded attire.

"Not to mention it's better than staying here with pizza's so old that there are _mushrooms_ growing out of mushrooms." Spike added, disgusted

"They've got a point you know guys." Sonata told the others.

"Silence!" Adagio snapped. She then turned to the Rainboom's. "Now, tell us, why have _really _you come here?

"Well _this_ world's Twilight has gotten one of the pieces of your pendants and it's infected her somehow." Sunset told them. They seemed very surprised by this.

"What?" Adagio asked, stunned.

"But are pendants were _destroyed_ last year." Aria pointed out.

"Well apparently they still have some dark magic left inside them." Sunset Shimmer stated. "We've already seen what it's done to this world's Twilight."

"And if we can't stop her this world and everyone in it will be destroyed!" Twilight Sparkle added.

"So you want _us_ to help _you_ in stopping your alternate self from destroying everything?" Aria questioned, incredulously.

Twilight nodded. "Yes, that is correct."

"Ha! Like we'd ever help the ones who did this to us." Aria said turning away

"Yes, now run along, while you still can." Adagio warned them.

"Is that a threat?" Spike questioned.

"More like a _warning_, we may not be as powerful as we once were but you don't want to _know_ what we're still capable of." Adagio told him, darkly.

"What if we gave you something in return? Something you've always wanted?" Twilight offered. That piqued their interest.

"Go on…" Adagio said.

"Well the portal is still open, if you help us we'll write you all your ticket out of here and take you back to Equestria." Sunset stated. This caught the Dazzlings interest.

"I'll also give you some of your magic back, at least enough to last for about a year." Princess Twilight Sparkle added.

"Truly?" Adagio asked.

"For realizes?" Sonata inquired.

"No tricks?" Aria added.

Twilight nodded. "We swear," she said. The others all nodded in confirmation as well.

"Cross our hearts and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in our eyes!" Pinkie Pie sang.

"Yahtzee!" Sonata cheered.

"_If_ ya'll promise no double cross that is." Applejack warned.

"Ah, shoot! Take all the fun out of life!" Sonata pouted.

"Sorry, that's the deal!" Pinkie told them.

"So, what's it gonna be?" Sunset Shimmer questioned.

The three former Sirens looked at each other for a while as they thought over the offer, it was if they were reading each other's minds, then soon enough they all nodded together and the Rainboom's got they're answer.

"Alright Rainboom's, you have yourselves a deal." Adagio nodded. The girls all looked surprised.

"For realizes?" Pinkie Pie inquired.

"Hey, that's what I said!" Sonata pointed out.

"Don't remind us…" The pig-tailed girl muttered.

"So why the change of heart? Why are you so interested in helping us save the world anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked, suspiciously.

"Uh… because were some of the suckers who _live_ on it?" Aria pointed out, deadpan. "Unfortunately…"

"That's right, we want to _rule_ this world, not _destroy_ it… at least not with us _on it_, anyway." Adagio stated.

"You sure? It could be dangerous." Twilight reminded them.

"The entire _planet's_ at risk, _of course_ it's 'dangerous'." Aria said, making it sound obvious.

"So we're in!" Sonata smiled. The Rainboom's exchanged stunned looks.

"Uh… ok." Sunset said.

"Ooh, this is so exciting! The great Rainboom's and their greatest archenemies fighting together to save the world!" Sonata said, excitedly.

* * *

><p>Sometime later, the Dazzlings were all back in their usual clothes and seated inside Sunset's car, along with Rainbow Dash and Sunset herself, only unlike them they were all wearing handcuffs that they kept fiddling with and didn't look amused.<p>

"I kinda sense a lack of trust here…" Sonata said, frowning.

"Gee, whatever gave _that_ away?" Rainbow Dash remarked, sarcastically.

"Well, the handcuffs for starters." Sonata replied, not understanding her sarcasm. They all groaned at this.

"_Now_ do you see why I have such a problem with her?" Aria asked them, bitterly.

"Yeah… starting to…" Sunset Shimmer admitted.

"They're just a pre-caution, alright, you can't blame us for being paranoid you know." Sunset stated.

"Fair enough." Adagio admitted. "But we expect to be released soon."

"Are you sure those things will keep the three stooges here under control?" Rainbow asked Twilight.

"For now, yes, right now we need to focus on finding Twilight's… _other_." Sunset said.

"Oh…" Adagio began.

"Joy." Aria finished, deadpan.

"Whee!" Sonata squealed, happily before they began to hear a voice coming from a radio that Sunset had placed beside her in the cup holder.

"Sunset Shimmer, can you hear us?" Applejack said, through the other end of the radio.

Sunset picked up her radio and spoke through it. "Yeah, I hear you, what's up?"

"How are things with our… guests?" The farm girl inquired.

"Shaky… but alright." Sunset replied.

"I can't believe we had to ask the very people that tried to take over our school for help." Applejack expressed. Then she remembered who she was taking to. "Uh, no offence."

"None taken. And besides, it's only way we stand a chance against the Alternate Twilight." Sunset stated. "Plus, it's not just _our_ lives on the line here, it's there's as well. They _have_ to help."

"But are you _sure_ we can trust them?" Applejack question Sunset, quietly.

"Honestly, I don't, but I know that _they _know that if _this_ Twilight succeeds, they'll be destroyed along with us." Sunset Shimmer stated. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"And how do we know that they won't just go ahead and betray us?" Applejack inquired.

Sunset Shimmer sighed. "We don't."

"And if they _do_?" Applejack questioned.

Sunset paused before answering. "Well cross that bridge _if_ and _when_ we get to it, talk to you soon, Sunset Shimmer out," she said before she quickly signed off. She then turned to Twilight. "Speaking of which, do you think we can turn them around like you did me?"

"The Dazzlings aren't like you Sunset Shimmer, they hypnotized Flash and the whole school they can't be redeemed they're _pure evil_." Twilight expressed.

"So was _Discord_, but you guys reformed _him_." Sunset Shimmer pointed out.

Twilight's eyes narrowed. "Adagio is no Discord."

Sunset could see the anger flowing off Twilight and decided to change the subject and talk to Adagio.

"So… Adagio, if you were the possessed Twilight, what would you do with that kind of destructive dark magic?" Sunset questioned.

Adagio thought for a bit. "Where did you say the other Twilight found that piece of our pendant?" she asked.

"Uh… at the school?" Sunset replied.

"Then she'll go there." Adagio concluded. "After all that's where most of the Equestria magic lies, isn't that right?"

"Yeah… plus the portal." Twilight added. "And if the Evil Twilight destroys it… me, you guys and Sunset Shimmer here will all be stuck here forever."

"That's not good…" Sonata remarked.

"Ya think?" Aria remarked, deadpan.

"Indeed, it's bad enough that we've been stuck here for a thousand years, but to be stuck here _forever_?" Adagio said, before shivering. "Total nightmare."

"Hey, being here isn't that bad." Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"Easy for you to say, _you_ actually live here." Aria stated.

"Do you _mind_?" Sunset asked them, annoyed. "I'm _trying _to tell Applejack about our lead, but a few certain _somebodies_ keep interrupting me! So _please_ be quiet."

"What _she_ said." Twilight added.

They all nodded, slowly, still a bit stunned by Sunset Shimmer's little outburst.

"Thank you." Sunset said, before she took the walkie again and spoke through it. "Applejack, we know where the other Twilight will be, follow us there."

"You got it." Applejack said, before she signed off.

"Now, what about getting the dark magic out, how do we do that?" Sunset inquired.

"Simple, you just need to counteract it." Aria stated.

"Counteract it?" Twilight echoed, surprised.

"Yes. You said on the way over here that our pendants amplified the other you's dark emotions, so all you need to do is make her feel _another_ emotion that's even stronger." Adagio explained to her.

"What emotion?" Twilight inquired.

"Any kind will do, sadness, shock, happiness, whatever gets the dice rolling." Adagio replied, shrugging.

"I see…" Twilight said, understandingly.

"You know, I'm actually surprised it took you losers so long to figure it out, aren't _you_ supposed to be the 'smart one'?" Aria asked Princess Twilight, mockingly.

"Would you just button it?" Rainbow Dash told her, annoyed.

"Yeah, button it!" Sonata added.

"_You_ stay out of this." Aria warned her.

"No _you_!" Sonata said, childishly as she pushed her. Aria pushed back.

"You!" she shot back, annoyed. Rainbow turned to them, angrily.

"Ok, you two argue one more time… and I will Kick. Your. Butts!" Rainbow threatened. "Got it!?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sonata said, fearfully.

"Thank you." Rainbow Dash said, satisfied as she then glanced away while everyone looked stunned. The silence continued until eventually Sunset stopped her car.

"Ok, we're close enough." Sunset said, before stopping. "Everybody out."

The Rainboom's then got out of the car first, much to the annoyance of the Dazzlings before one of them opened the door for them and they all stepped out.

"Ok, we'll start walking from here." Princess Twilight told them.

"Uh, I have a question; why are we stopping _here_ and _walking_ the rest of the way?" Aria questioned, flatly.

"Because the other me won't expect it! _And_ it's quieter." Princess Twilight reasoned.

"Told ya!" Sonata told Aria, smugly.

"Did _not_." Aria stated, annoyed.

"Did _too_." Sonata insisted.

"You _wish_." Aria scoffed.

"Why would I wish for _that_?" Sonata questioned, confused.

"What did I tell you guy before?" Rainbow reminded them, harshly.

"Right, sorry…" Sonata squeaked, fearfully.

"Just promise us you'll behave for now, ok?" Twilight asked.

"Fine…" They all said, resigned. Just then Applejack and the rest of the gang showed up.

"Hey ya'll, sorry that we're late." Applejack said. "The traffic was_murder_."

"Don't worry, you're just in time." Twilight assured her, smiling.

"Ahem! Do you mind?" Adagio asked as she the other sirens held out their cuffs.

Applejack sighed. "Fine," she said as she walked over, took out a key and unlocked their handcuff, which drop to the ground.

"Thanks." Aria said, half-heartedly while rubbing her wrist.

"Don't mention it." Applejack frowned at her.

"Don't worry, we won't." Adagio said as they walked past her while the cowgirl continued to glare at them. She then approached Twilight. "Now… about our magic?"

This time it was Twilight's turn to sigh and walk over to them, "Ok… just don't make me regret this."

"Ok!" Sonata nodded, happily.

"Word of advice; ignore Sonata. Your life will be a whole lot simpler." Aria told her.

"Alright, that's enough. Now put your hands on top of in a pile." Twilight instructed as she held out her hand to them. They all did as she said one by one, and ended with Sonata's hand on top of Aria's, much to her displeasure.

"Do I _have_ to touch Sonata's hand?" she questioned, which made Sonata glare at her.

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "_Yes_. Now clear your minds, this will only take a second," she said as she closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Magic then began to slow surge through her arm till it reached her hand, at that point the magic flowed through the arms of the former siren's and into their bodies, making their eyes glow briefly before they smiled.

"Now _that's_ more like it." Adagio said, pleased.

"Just remember; if you _do_ think about betraying us or cause harm Equestria once we let you back in…" Twilight began.

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Adagio nodded. Satisfied, Twilight walked away while Rainbow approached them looking angry and got enough to look them in the eye, creeping them out.

"I just want you to know… I hate you three very much." Rainbow Dash told them, sternly before turning and stomping away frustrated. The Dazzling blinked for a bit before Sonata spoke up.

"I like her!" she told the others.

Twilight then noticed that Sunset was standing away from the others and glancing downward sadly with a troubled look on her face. She walked over to Sunset. "You ok?"

"Yeah… you?" she asked. Twilight nodded in response before they both looked forward.

"So, it's the school huh?" Sunset Shimmer remarked, thoughtfully. "Figures, but hey, it _began_ there…"

"And it's going to _end _there." Princess Twilight declared, determined.

"Oh yeah." Rainbow said, eagerly.

"Let's go." Applejack added.

They all nodded and began walking down the street toward the school together.

"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Spike said, pumped.

"I know, right?" Sonata asked, also excited.

"Totally!" Pinkie added. The three of them then started laughing.

Aria groaned. "Great… now there's _three_ of them…" she muttered. "I hope you know what you're doing Princess Wannabe."

"Ha! 'Princess Wannabe'! Good one!" Sonata laughed, which aggravated Aria even more.

"Hey! I told you to behave yourselves, ok?" Twilight reminded her.

"Whatever…" Aria grumbled.

"Ok!" Sonata smiled, brightly.

Sunset leaned towards Adagio. "Where did you _get_ those to?" she whispered.

"You wouldn't _believe _what I turned away at the beginning." Adagio confessed, regretfully.

But before they could get any further, they spotted two men in Police uniforms up ahead of them who both turn around and quickly noticed them all coming.

"Hold it!" One officer said, holding his hand out toward them, making them stop. "Sorry girls, you can't go that way right now."

"What? Why?" Rainbow Dash asked, surprised.

"Yeah, that's our school over there!" Applejack pointed out.

"We're sorry, but were attempting to seal off this whole area, it's too dangerous right now, what with all the strange occurrences happening." The other officer said.

"And that's why we're gonna have to take you all home for your own safety." The lead officer stated.

"Wait, officers! You don't understand!" Fluttershy protested.

"Yeah, there's some bad, bad stuff going on over there!" Rainbow said. "You gotta let us…."

"Let you do what?" The officer asked, suspiciously. "Do you girls know about all of this? Huh?"

Twilight then started to get nervous and stammer. "Uh… well… it's-it's a funny story… see… we-we don't _really_ know what's going on… I-I mean… w-we have a _feeling_ but uh… well it's-it's… complicated and uh…"

Adagio and Aria both shared a look that said 'Oh forget this' and quickly struck and dispatched the two officers with no problem, with a little help from Sonata. The Rainboom's stared at them horrified.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you finished?" Aria asked, deadpan

"Uh… sorry, I'm just… not a big fan of violence…" The Equestrian Twilight admitted. "I mean I will if I _have_ to but…"

"Something tells me you might not have a _choice _in the matter, _none _of us will." Adagio stated, grimly as she walked forward.

"Somehow I get the feeling that she's right…" Rarity admitted while beginning to move also. Fluttershy nodded fearfully in agreement and followed her.

"Yeah… now let's get out here before something else happens." Sunset voiced.

"Agreed." Twilight nodded as they all began to move out.

"Sure hope nobody saw that…" Applejack said, glancing around.

"The world is ending AJ, I doubt anybody cares if we knock out a couple of cops. With any luck they won't remember a thing" Rainbow Dash said. "Besides we got bigger problems."

"Exactly, so we need to stay focused." Twilight told them.

"So what exactly is the _plan_ here?" Aria questioned, raising a brow.

"Well I've learned from my last battle that I can't beat alone so we're all gonna have to work together in order to defeat her, once she's down I'll try to talk some sense into her again and make her see what's she's doing is wrong and how important friendship truly is." Princess Twilight explained. "Once that's done, the dark magic should be expelled and she will return to normal."

"And… then we unalive the other Twilight? Right?" Sonata guessed.

"Works for me." Aria shrugged. The others turned to her, shocked.

"Wait… 'unalive' her?" Rainbow Dash repeated.

"Yeah… see I can't really say the 'k-word' out loud, it's a weird mental tic…" Sonata admitted, with a giggle.

"But basically we are going to destroy her…" Adagio began.

"Make her disappear…" Aria continued.

"And sleep with the fishes!" Sonata finished. "Yeah, we'll k-word her."

"K-Word?" Fluttershy echoed before gasping in horror. "You mean _kill_ her?"

"Ooh! It _does_ sound bad when you say it out loud, I had no idea…" Sonata remarked, genuinely surprised.

"_No_, we're_ not_ doing that her." Twilight told her, sternly as she and the others glare at them.

"Why _not_?" Sonata whined.

"Because she's still Twilight!" Applejack stated.

"And a _living person_." Rainbow Dash added.

"Plus under the control of dark magic, not really _her_ fault, more like _yours_." Pinkie shrugged.

"Hey!" The Dazzlings all said.

"No 'k-wording' her or we _won't_ bring you back to Equestria, understand?" Princess Twilight told them, sternly.

"_Fine_. We'll do things _your_ way Princess, but understand this; there is but _one way_ to deal with a _mad dog_." Adagio stated.

"Play with it?" Pinkie suggested, excitedly.

"Give it a belly rub?" Sonata added, eagerly.

"_No_. Put it down." Adagio stated, firmly and annoyed.

"Oh… right." Sonata said, smiling cheerfully, which disturbed Pinkie a bit.

"But it _won't_ come to that." Sunset Shimmer stated, firmly.

"We'll see." Adagio said with a strange tone while Twilight stepped forward and then turned to them all.

"Alright everyone, this is it, now I don't know how this is going to end or if we'll come back alive and I know we've had our differences in the past but it doesn't matter now. Whatever we were before… today we're a team we're all allies, all friends, we look out for each other, we win or lose… _together_!" Princess Twilight declared. They all cheered. "Now let's go get her, right Spike! Spike?"

Twilight and the girls turned and saw standing near a fire hydrant and slowly lifting his leg. They all groaned at this.

"Spike! We don't have time for that!" The Princess of Friendship told him, disgusted.

"Yeah! Put your leg down!" Pinkie cried.

Spike smiled sheepishly, then scurried away from the ten girls, who then began walking away from him, annoyed.

"Ugh, _so_ unnecessary…" Rainbow groaned.

"You said it." Applejack agreed.

"I can't _believe_ my other self likes him…" Rarity muttered, grossed out.

"Girls… _Yeesh_!" Spike muttered, annoyed before he rejoined them again.

"Remember guys, if we lose this… then it's the end of everything…" Sunset said, somberly.

"Hey, we've been there before you know." Rainbow reminded her.

"Not like this." Sunset Shimmer said, lowering her head. "What do you do when the whole world is on your shoulders?"

Twilight then put a hand on her shoulder, surprising. "You plant your feet… and stand by your friends," she told her, seriously which made her smile.

"Ugh, enough with the sappy friendship talk already." Aria groaned.

"Yes, let's just _end_ this." Adagio stated.

"_This_ battle…" Sunset began.

"And all the battles we've had until now!" Twilight declared. "Let's go!"

And so, now that they were all assembled and ready to fight, Twilight began to lead the others towards the place where it all began, with Sunset and Spike flanking her. They were quickly joined by Pinkie, Fluttershy and Applejack, then Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Then finally the Dazzlings joined them as well as they made their way to the school for the final battle. As they did so Twilight closed her eyes for a moment then opened them to show them glowing brightly.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Author's Note: This chapter uses bits of inspiration and references from various forms of media that I like, admire and honor but I do not own them. This is not for profit, it is merely for fun. No flames please and thank you.<strong>**


	12. Round 2

**Chapter 12**

By the time the clouds had completely covered the night sky above them, the girls and their dragon turned canine companion had arrived at the back of Canterlot High where they could practically _feel_ the dark magic flowing all over.

"Ok, we're here." Twilight announced.

"I can see that, but where's the other you?" Adagio questioned, looking around.

"Maybe she got tired and went home?" Sonata asked, hopefully. They all glanced at her. "What? A little optimism couldn't hurt, you know."

"She has a point!" Pinkie pointed out.

They then saw a flash of light in the sky and turned toward it. They noticed the clouds rumbling above them and lightning flashing all around as suddenly the dark version of Twilight flew up over the school, smiling evilly and then lowered her palms toward the school where she began to fire massive amounts of dark magic down towards the school. She doesn't seemed to have taken notice of the group yet but she will soon enough. They were all stunned.

"Oh man…" Spike remarked. "She looks stronger and crazier than before…"

"Well, so much for optimism…" Pinkie shrugged while Sonata sulked

"So… I'm guessing _that's_ the Alternate Twilight?" Aria questioned.

"Lucky guess." Rarity confirmed.

"Hmph, she doesn't look _that_ tough." Adagio scoffed.

"Uh… are we looking at the same girl? Because she looks scary…" Sonata remarked.

"No one asked you Sonata!" Aria snapped.

"Would you two knock it off?" Applejack asked, annoyed. "We're here to stop the Evil Twilight here!"

"And we _will_, just get into your positions and we'll get in ours, ok?" Adagio said as she and her cronies began to walk off.

"Just remember; no tricks." Twilight reminded them.

"Twilight, please, we had a deal, remember?" Adagio smiled, before leaving. The Rainboom's just frowned, what were those three up to?

"Forget about them, let's just focus on the task at hand." Twilight told the others.

"Right!" They nodded.

"Alright, take your positions." Sunset instructed. "We have to time this right."

Everybody, including the Dazzlings, nodded in agreement and walked off in several different directions while Twilight headed straight for the back of the school. When she reached the back of it, she noticed that the Other Twilight was actually slowly transferring her dark powers towards the portal, making it glow brightly. She only stopped when she noticed the Princess approaching her and scowled.

"_You_ again! Back for more, huh…? Why bother? It'll be the same no matter how many times we go at it. Face it, you can't defeat me. You don't even _belong_ on this world!" Evil Twilight stated to Princess Twilight, angrily.

"Sorry, but my obligations don't end at the boarders of my own world." Princess Twilight stated, firmly.

"Well, isn't that nice." Evil Twilight remarked, mockingly. "Also, those _losers_ standing behind you called for you and you came running, right? Because your 'friends'?"

"Yes! They _are_!" Twilight Sparkle stated, firmly. "And I cannot let you hurt them anymore!"

"You're too late, fake! It's already begun! Soon I will destroy _everything_ around us and you'll be _finished_!" Demon Twilight declared. "_Everybody's_ gonna notice me now! _Everybody_ is going to know how it feels to live in _my_ world! A world of absolute _loneliness_!"

"No! That is _not_ gonna happen!" Princess Twilight said, firmly.

"And why do you think _that_?" Her other self questioned.

"Mainly because of this; Get her!" Twilight suddenly yelled.

"Huh?" The evil Twilight asked before quickly Rainbow side-kicked her in the back

"Ha! I hope _that_ hurt!" Rainbow smirked, as the evil Twilight rolled across the ground and groaned as she got up and noticed the others rushing over in all directions.

"Not so fast, sugarcube." Applejack smirked.

"You want _our_ Twilight…" Pinkie began.

"You'll have to go through _all_ of us." Rarity stated.

"That's right!" Applejack agreed.

"Um… but if you want to surrender and talk this over…" Fluttershy began.

"Yeah… that's not happening." Aria scoffed.

"Even _I_ know that." Sonata pointed out.

"Me too! Hey… I think I we're on the same level as everybody else now!" Pinkie realized.

"Totes awesome! High five!" Sonata cheered as she and Pinkie high fived each other while Aria face palmed.

"Your _through_ Alternate Twilight. We are _not_ letting you rule this world, that's _our_ job." Adagio stated, firmly

"Hey!" Pinkie protested.

"Through all of you, huh? If you insist!" Alternate Twilight hissed, while readying herself.

"Ok girls, let's pony up!" Rainbow cried.

"Right!" They all said. Twilight nodded and then channelled her magic into each of them and herself, plus the Dazzlings as well. Then their bodies glowed as they each began to transform into their half-pony and half-siren forms. Each gained pony tails, pony tail extensions and for some, actual wings. Though the Dazzlings were more translucent then feathered as well as fin-like.

"Now _this_ is more like it." Adagio said, pleased.

Spike, who was hiding behind a bush, poked his head out and smiled. "Alright! Get her, girls!" he cheered.

"Relying on your friends, fake?" Demon Twilight remarked. "How weak and pathetic you are. Not to mention disgusting."

"Oh yeah?" Pinkie challenged as she picked up a little pebble and tossed it at it. It merely bonked on her on head and did nothing but annoy her.

"Lame!" she said, mockingly.

"Snap out of it! You need to focus Twilight!" Rainbow told her she attempted to fly up and tackle her, only for her to teleport away. "Uh-oh…"

Rainbow then flew right into a telephone pole, everyone grimaced as she slid down.

"Lame! Lame!" Demon Twilight mocked, before she was blasted from behind and quickly slammed into a wall, where she left a visible mark in it. Twilight, who was the one who fired, flew up and narrowed her eyes.

"Sorry, but it had to be done," she said, firmly.

Her other self groaned as she removed herself from the wall. "Why you little…"

"Alright girls, let her have it!" Equestria Twilight cried as each of them began to twirl around before releasing bits of energy that resembled apples, lightning bolts, diamonds, butterflies, balloons and a magic star. The other Twilight tried to shield herself from them but each of them knocked her back a bit.

"Our turn girls." Adagio smiled as they all began singing with their angelic voices which then released a sound wave that blew the evil Twilight away.

"Alright, one more! Sunset, Adagio, give some of your magic!" Princess Twilight ordered them.

Sunset nodded. "Got it," she said before turning to Adagio. "You ready to be a hero, Adagio?"

"Aw, do I _have_ to?" Adagio asked, tiredly but with a smile.

Sunset put her hand over Twilight's open right palm and created a sphere of green magic, which Twilight held. Adagio also put her hand over Twilight's and created a sphere of golden magic, Twilight held that as well.

Demon Twilight huffed. "Lame."

She extended her arms forward and created a gust of wind that knocked Sunset and Adagio back but the good Twilight just ran forward and leapt up toward her.

"Not so fast!" she yelled as she lifted a giant block of earth out of the ground using her magic. But the Princess of Friendship used the spheres of magic to bore right through the giant rock and before the demonic version of herself could react she slammed the spheres into her chest, knocking the wind out of her before creating an explosion that knocked Princess Twilight back to Earth, into the arms of her friends. The explosion was so bright that it almost looked like daytime to all of them. They all shielded themselves from the blast wave and the rushing winds blowing in their general direction.

When it was over and the sky returned to normal, everybody unshielded their eyes and panted.

"Is everybody ok?" The good version of Twilight Sparkle asked. They nodded and quietly confirmed that they all were. "Good."

"So… did we win?" Sonata asked, curiously.

"I think so…" Twilight said before they heard a laugh.

"What the…?" Rainbow began before they all turned and saw the demonic Twilight emerging from the smoke and hovering above them while laughing.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" Aria expressed. "We gave her all that and she's _still_ standing?"

"What did I tell you? There's no way you can beat me!" Twilight mocked them.

"Ooh… what do we do now?" Fluttershy asked, fearfully.

"Hey! Maybe she'll calm down if we all sing a song!" Sonata suggested.

"Are you _kidding me_!?" Everyone exclaimed, annoyed.

"No! Come on, girl! You _cannot_ be that dumb!" Applejack told Sonata., exasperated.

"Oh you'd be surprised…." Aria told her, deadpan.

"_Our_ turn now!" Adagio declared as she and her fellow Sirens flew forward.

"Wait! You don't know what you're getting into!" Princess Twilight warned them.

"Oh yeah, as if being totally crazy and clueless has ever stopped those three nutbag's before." Rainbow Dash remarked, sarcastically.

The Dazzlings then released red waves of sound from their mouths as they sang a certain chorus. The waves collided with the alternate Twilight and created an explosion, but when the smoke cleared… she was _gone_.

"How the…" Adagio began.

"Hey! She disappeared!" Aria gasped.

"Where did she go?" Sonata wondered, looking around along with the others.

"BELOW YOU!" Someone suddenly yelled.

They all looked down and suddenly the Evil Twilight burst out of the ground and sent a harsh wind upward, which blew in their faces.

"Dazzlings!" Twilight called out.

"We're ok!" Sonata assured them as they tried to recover from the blast of wind. Just then Demon Twilight appeared behind her.

"Not for long!" she smiled, evilly, making Sonata and the others gasp before the corrupted Twilight split two duplicates of herself and promptly stabbed each of the Dazzlings through the chest with the energy spear, which didn't cause any real damage but still caused them each a great deal of pain as they each let out a little cry to the heavens above. The other two Evil Twilight's then disappear and the main one cackled while the Dazzlings each fell to the ground.

The Rainboom's eyed all widened quickly rushed over to them, while they knew the Dazzlings were technically their enemies, they still felt a great amount of worry for them as they laid there.

"You gals alright?" Applejack asked, as she the others helped the Dazzlings up.

"Do we _look_ alright?" Aria questioned, spitefully.

"I'm alright! I landed on my head!" Sonata informed them, happily.

"That figures…" Aria grumbled, annoyed.

"Your… _helping_ us." Adagio finally realized.

"Hey, unlike _you guys_ we actually care about the people around us, and not _use_ them like _you guys_ do." Rainbow stated.

"Well then, we're not thanking you." Adagio said as she turned away and folded her arms.

"Good, then you're not welcome." Rainbow shot back as she turned away as well.

"Uh… hate to interrupt but we got incoming!" Applejack announce as she gestured to something above them. They all looked up and saw Evil Twilight flying towards them like a missile locked onto its target. They all quickly got out of the way before she crashed into the ground. She slowly rose up and growled at them all, angrily.

"Hi!" Sonata waved at her.

Adagio then laughed a bit. "You know… I actually like this girl. She's almost as crazy as me. I almost feel bad for what we have to do to her… _almost_."

Adagio then closed her eyes and floated upward as she began to sing a tune and release a massive sound wave that hurt Dark Twilight's ears.

"Ah! That sound! I can't think!" Demon Twilight cried.

"Get her girls!" Adagio told her fellow Sirens.

"Oh yeah!" Aria smiled.

"This is gonna be _fun_!" Sonata smiled, excitedly as she and Aria flew forward and began to blast sounds waves at the Evil Twilight using the power of their voices, while the corrupted version of Twilight screamed. They then began to sing a song similar to the one they sang during the battle of the bands AKA 'Under Our Spell' and when they were finished three blasts of red light struck Dark Twilight and caused her to fall to the ground, seemingly unconscious. The Dazzlings all floated down and gathered around her.

"One more should do it." Adagio said as she and the others prepared to deal the finishing blow. But before they could they heard Twilight's voice.

"Adagio, no!" Twilight stated, stepping forward. "I told you; we need to _cure_ her, not _kill_ her!"

"Ha! You're a _fool_ Princess, do you _really_ think you can purge that much dark magic inside her with just words alone?" Adagio questioned.

"Indeed." The other Twilight suddenly said, surprising them greatly as she slowly sat up before using her bat like wings to float up high above them.

"Uh-oh..." Sonata gulped.

"Fight me all you want fools, but the wheels of my plan are already in motion and I shall be here… to see you _crushed_ beneath them." Demon Twilight missed.

"Twilight… what are you planning on doing?" Sunset asked, slowly.

"What've you've made me do. You were almost a _friend_ to me, and then you, BETRAYED, ME!" The evil Twilight exclaimed.

"No! I was trying to _help_ you!" Sunset Shimmer protested. "To protect you…"

Demon Twilight laughed, evilly. "Help me? Protect me? LOOK AT ME!"

"Look, it's gonna be ok. Just calm down." Sunset tried to urge her.

"NO! You were wrong. Friendship doesn't give people hope. Not at all. And after I'm done with you _I'm_ gonna take away all of _yours!_ _I will destroy all reality_!" Demon Twilight exclaimed as lightning flashed all around her while the Rainboom's and the Dazzlings stared in shock and horror.

"Ooh! I love electrical shocks! It's like a shiatsu massage for your brain!" Sonata smiled. Everyone glanced at her still wide-eyed.

"Oh yeah? Let's see how much to like them after _this_!" Evil Twilight cried as lightning bolts began to rapidly rain down upon them. They all began to move around quickly and watch their step as the lightning bolts nearly hit their feet. "That's right monkey's dance! Dance! Dance!"

"I'll show _you_ a dancing monkey!" Rainbow Dash said, agitated as she prepared to fight.

"Rainbow, don't!" Princess Twilight cried.

"Yes, you fools are gonna have to wait your turn!" Demon Twilight said before disappearing and then reappearing in front of Twilight. She easily pushed Rainbow aside and grabbed her other half, who looked greatly terrified. "You and I have unfinished business. Prepare… to _die_!"

Evil Twilight then kneed Good Twilight in the gut and gave her a magical push into a wall. She dropped to ground, groaning in pain.

"From what I gather, we're very much alike, you and I." Demon Twilight told her Equestrian Counterpart while walking toward her. "Two beings with the same personalities but each with different life choices. _You_ became a Princess, while _I_ became a miserable little nobody."

The Evil Twilight then grabbed the Good Twilight by the neck and held her up before slamming and pinning her into a wall with her hand and then her knee.

"What do you say we _rewrite_ that, shall we?"

Sunset Shimmer ran forward. "Let her go Twilight!" she yelled. Demon Twilight snarled as she turned to her.

"Oh? And _your_ gonna stop me?" Demon Twilight asked, mockingly. "Ha! Don't make me laugh!"

"Why not? It's fun to laugh!" Pinkie piped up.

"It's true! I love jokes!" Sonata added. The others just groaned.

"Let's just get her!" Rainbow told them before flying forward, and knocked the Evil Twilight away, releasing the good Twilight. Spike rushed over to her.

"You alright?" he asked, concerned.

"More or less…" Twilight responded. She then noticed that her dark half had just knocked them all way with a dark energy wave. Her eyes narrowed. "Spike… _run_."

Spike nodded, and went back to his hiding place while the Evil Twilight turned her attention to her hated other half.

"I told you; you're not welcome here, faker!" Demon Twilight yelled as she fired another blast of dark magic at her duplicate, which she blocked with a magic shield.

"I may not be wanted, but my friends _need_ me, and that's more than enough for me." Twilight Sparkle declared.

"It's _your _funeral." Dark Twilight sneered, as she flew straight for her, then Applejack got in her way.

"Right back at ya!" she said before side kicking her, sending her flying. The others joined in striking her as she flew as well, though Fluttershy merely gave her a small tap. She skidded across the ground until she came to a stop, lowered her head and put her clawed hands on her knees before she began to chuckle, much to their confusion.

"You know… it's kind of funny… to think there would be someone like be in the universe… someone… _identical _to me." Demon Twilight remarked, before looking at her Equestrian counterpart full of rage. "That must be why I can't stand you! Your presence, your magic, your very _existence_ makes me sick, it's like I have goosebumps all over my body! At least the solution is simple; I'll just have to _erase _you completely! And just to make sure there is no trace of me left anywhere, I am going to… in a way… _wipe the slate clean_."

"What are you planning to do?" Princess Twilight Sparkle demanded.

"I have devised a way to amplify the portal from whence you came, only this portal won't lead to _your_ world, it'll just destroy you… then everyone else!" Demon Twilight stated.

"You mean you're gonna deliberately cause the portal to become unbalanced!?" Good Twilight exclaimed.

"Yes…" Her evil self hissed.

"But… whatever gets sucked into it…" Princess Twilight began.

"Yes! It will cease to exist! In minutes the portal will grow large enough to suck this entire city in _oblivion!_" Demon Twilight said, evilly. "Then the entire planet! The explosion will then be magnified, which will cause it to spread to every world beyond and once it does, all reality will follow! I will obliterate you all!"

The Evil Twilight cackled while everyone watched in horror, including Aria and Sonata. Adagio just smirked a bit.

"I take it back, she's much crazier than I am," she confessed.

"Yeah, we're all negative energy feeding sirens and stuff, but like… even _we're_ not _that_ mean! Or are we?" Sonata added, sounding confused. Aria groaned.

"If you do this, then you'll destroy yourself as well!" Sunset Shimmer pointed out.

"Yeah, some plan." Aria scoffed.

"Not quite." Evil Twilight said. "Thanks to my new powers, _I_ shall be protected from the blast wave. _I_ am safe. And when it is all said and done… _I_ will be the _only_ Twilight Sparkle in the multiverse!"

"But… what if it _doesn't _protect you?" Sonata questioned. "You know, just something to point out, since it doesn't make a lotta sense."

"To _you_ maybe." Aria scowled.

"Well, on the off chance that I _do_ get eliminated… so be it," she said, surprising everyone. "At least then… my pain will _end_… along with everyone else's, since this will destroy everyone who ever lived or ever _will_ live, of course. Make sense?"

"Kinda, yeah!" Sonata nodded. Aria just groaned in annoyance.

"But… but why would you do this?" Fluttershy asked, teary eyed.

"Because ever since I was born, this world has misunderstood me, tormented me! While _that_ me got everything she ever wanted!" Demon Twilight exclaimed, furiously gesturing to her alternate self. "Well, not anymore! If _I _can't be happy and noticed, _no one will!"_

"No! I know you don't want to do this! I can't believe that you would do something this horrible, it just isn't in you, because it isn't in _me_." Twilight stated, firmly. "And you _are_ me!"

"I'm more _you_ then you'll ever admit!" Demon Twilight spat.

"If that's true… then you know that this is wrong." Princess Twilight Sparkle told herself. "You were a good person once… I know you were. I know you _are_."

Demon Twilight was surprised by this and then quickly got angry. "Give me a break! I don't care what you think. Nobody understands you except me and that's vice versa! People have been ignoring me since I was a little girl! Never acknowledging me, making me invisible!" she spat, as tears began to form as she held her heart. "It was so hard! So painful! Nobody else can understand that kind of pain!"

"Except _me_…" Princess Twilight said, understandingly.

"Ha! You really expect me to _believe_ that?" The other Twilight asked, smugly.

"It's true, while I did enjoy my studies and just reading all the time, deep down I was lonely and if I didn't have Spike… it would have been a lot worse…" Twilight said. "Please, Twilight, you must understand; the reason you've been so alone and angry because you've never had a friend! You've never seen how important friendship is. _That's_ your problem! Don't you see? The dark magic's made you crazy!"

"No! _You're_ the problem! And I've never been saner!" Evil Twilight stated. "And now you're gonna be destroyed and I'll make_ everything_ right!"

"Alright, try and chase me out, then." Princess Twilight said, offering herself.. "Not that you can, even if you tried."

"Why yoooooou!" Demon Twilight roared before she flew over and locked arms with the Friendship Princess. "Go away, fake!"

"Sorry, I can't do that. Like I said; my friends need me." Princess Twilight stated, as she knocked her other self back with a pulse wave. "Besides, you're the one who said I'm you, remember?"

"Shut up, shut up, _shut up!_" The other Twilight screamed, growing more and more frustrated as she fired multiple dark bolts from both her left and right hands and then started to breath purple fire her mouth. Everyone quickly scrambled to get out of the way of the blasts and hide behind the school sign as the flames flew over their heads. They all could actually _feel_ the heat rushing over them and were nearly singed and licked by the flames themselves. Part of Pinkie's hair actually caught on fire also.

"Ah! Ooh! Ooh! That's hot!" she cried as she quickly patted out the flames.

"_I'll_ be the one whose triumphant! _None_ of you will survive!" The Demonic Twilight proclaimed to them all,

"Ugh! Curse her!" Adagio growled.

"Yeah, she's kicking our butts here!" Sonata added.

"Everyone! Give me a little bit of your magic, I'm gonna try something." Twilight told them.

"Try _what_?" Rainbow questioned.

"Whatever it is, if you think we're gonna give you a piece of our power _now_, your nuts." Aria added.

"Aria! Do you want to _live_!?" Princess Twilight shouted at her. This remark startled Aria a bit and made her nod. "Good. Now pile in."

"Great… more hand touching…" Aria sighed as she and the others put their hands onto Twilights. Then energy began to flow down their arms, down Twilight's and into Twilight's body.

"Alright! I got it!" Princess Twilight said. "This better work…"

Twilight then hopped over the sign and faced her other self in what almost seemed to be a Western duel. All that was missing was a tumble weed, which was replaced by an old newspaper just rolling right between them.

"So, decide to face me alone then?" Demon Twilight inquired.

"That's the thing Twilight, when you have _friends_… your never alone." Princess Twilight stated, firmly.

The Princess then developed a strong center of gravity as she stood her ground and caused a massive amount of magic to flow all over her. Her eyes narrowed fiercely. The others eyes all widen in amazement.

"Wow!" Pinkie said.

"Incredible!" Rarity marveled.

"That's so cool!" Sonata remarked.

"No…" Spike began before a smile appeared on his face. "_That_ is Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship!"

The Dazzlings all looked surprised and impressed as they continue to gaze at the Friendship Princess with wide eyes.

"That's some magic you got there fake, not bad, but it'll take more than _that_ to stop _me_." Demon Twilight stated, smugly.

Princess Twilight smirked and readied herself. "Here I come, _egghead_!"

That last remarked enraged the other Twilight. "I am _not_ an egghead! I am well read!"

"Egghead." Rainbow whispered to the others, who all chuckled, angering Demon Twilight even more.

"Let's do it!" Demon Twilight snapped before glaring at her twin once again.

The two Twilight's then clapped their hands and created beings of energy that were shaped like Alicorn's, similar to the one that appeared during the battle of the bands. Princess Twilight landed on the one made out of pure white energy while her corrupted counterpart landed on the own made out of black energy.

"Charge!" They both yelled as their Alicorn avatars reared up, whinnied and started to gallop towards each other in the sky while the two girls on their backs held on. Then when they got close enough they both jumped off just as the two energy Alicorn's slammed their heads together, creating a massive shockwave. Both Twilight's then flew up towards each other.

"Just _die_ already!?" Demon Twilight snapped, as he lunged her fist forward, trying to punch her in the face like last time. But Twilight managed to use her human reflexes and move her head out of the way just in time.

"Not gonna happen!" Princess Twilight declared as she struck her in the face, just as hard as her other self did to her the first time they met. Everyone that was watching below winced, seeing that.

"Ooh! That's gotta hurt!" Rainbow Dash cried, smirking.

"You don't have to take quite so much pleasure in this, Rainbow." Applejack stated.

"_We_ do." Adagio said, smiling. Aria and Sonata both nodded.

"For the record… you three are scary." Pinkie told them.

"We know." Sonata nodded, casually.

Both Twilight's then began to spin as they fell straight for the ground. Twilight quickly noticed that she was about to hit the pavement and used her wings to retard the fall and make it so she only hits the ground lightly. She groaned as she tried to stand up.

"Having a little trouble getting up?"

"What…" The Princess asked, weakly before she noticed her counterpart standing over her, grinning wickedly and looking completely unharmed.

"Sorry fake, didn't take!" Evil Twilight sneered, before the others appeared behind her.

"Hey! She's not your _only_ opponent you big meanie!" Pinkie reminded her.

"Yeah! We're here as well!" Rainbow Dash added as they attempted to side kick her back but the other Twilight quickly grabbed their legs and tossed them both side with ease.

"Leave them alone!" Applejack yelled as she and the others dashed forward as well in attempt to restrain the other Twilight. But the demonic version of her friend easily kicked, jabbed and knocked away anyone that got close to her. She then turned to the Dazzlings.

"You next?" she asked.

"We _are_." Adagio stated, firmly.

"Then come on then! Let's have at it!" Demon Twilight challenged.

The Dazzlings flew forward and engaged the alternate Twilight in a three on one fight, during which the corrupted Twilight, during which the demon girl showed great pleasure as he beat up the Dazzlings mercilessly and showed absolutely no subtly and little technique in her fighting style. She leaped up and knocked Adagio down with a punch to the face, jabbed Aria multiple times in the side, knocking her over, then swiftly knocked Sonata down as well with a palm strike to the chest. Evil Twilight grinned, sadistically as all ten of them groaned in pain as they tried to stand.

"Ugh… darn her…" Aria grumbled.

Adagio growled. "She's so dead!"

Evil Twilight laughed, evilly. "_These_ are the all-powerful Rainboom's who supposedly saved the world twice?" she remarked before turning to Adagio's gang. "And _you_, Dazzlings. Aren't _you_ supposed to be the trio that managed to bring a whole school to its knees? You've grown _weak_!"

"What!? _Weak_?" Adagio echoed, angered.

"Did you _really_ think you could beat me by childishly attacking me like that?" The evil Twilight asked them, mockingly. "Just give up! You can't defeat me! _My_ dark magic is _unstoppable_!"

Adagio growled, looking a bit insulted, then began flying forward. "Let's go, Dazzlings!" she cried before flying forward.

"Fine, coming." Aria said, resigned as she flew also.

"Wait for me!" Sonata called out, while beginning to fly after the other Dazzlings.

"Come on Rainboom's! She's not showing _us_ any mercy!" Rainbow told the others..

"And we can't let ourselves be outdone by the _Dazzlings_!" Applejack added.

"That's for sure!" Rarity nodded.

"Yeppee!" Pinkie cheered.

"Uh… ok." Fluttershy stuttered.

"Let's _do_ this." Sunset declared, before they all let out a battle cry and flew alongside the Dazzlings.

"Girls! Hey, wait!" Princess Twilight yelled as her friends and the Dazzlings all charged toward the other Twilight, who looked surprised. The nine of them then became like a giant rainbow of light that flew straight toward her and eventually clashed with her when she created a shield around herself, energy crackled all over, energy Princess Twilight had the shield herself from.

Eventually the Demon Twilight had enough and extended her arms. "GO AWAY!" she yelled. This created a pulse wav that hit them all like a runaway train and sent them flying through the air screaming before crashing into the ground one by one.

"Oh no, girls!" Princess Twilight cried as she rushed over to her unconsciousness friends and checked them over.

"Rarity! Are you ok?" Spike asked, concerned.

The other Twilight just cackled. "Still fighting? Even though you _know_ you'll lose in the end?" she mocked Princess Twilight.

Twilight frowned and stood in front of her friends and the Dazzlings. "I'm won't let you hurt my friends anymore!"

"What good are friends anyway? Besides Sunset Shimmer tried to destroy you too! What's the point in trusting someone like that!?" Demon Twilight questioned, angrily. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"It doesn't _matter_ whether there's a point or not." Princess Twilight reasoned. "I trust my friends and they trust me. That's all there is too it."

This made the corrupted Twilight even more angry. "You little…!"

She then flew straight for her other half in a blind rage, yelling while doing so and was then calmly knocked away by Princess Twilight and rolled across the ground.

"Rrgh…! Why are you…! Argh…!" Demon Twilight groaned as she slowly got up.

"Surrender! Please! Before this goes any further!" Princess Twilight begged her.

"Sorry, but I don't feel like losing to you now." Evil Twilight sneered. "Trust me, I know what I have to do. It's you or me… and it ain't gonna be _you_!"

The corrupted Twilight then charged up her magic while the Princess of Friendship stood her ground.

"That's what _you_ think." Twilight said as she copied her other self, and caused her magic to radiate from the middle of her palm.

The Princess of Friendship glared at her other half fiercely after she saw the sight of her fallen friends again while the light of the moon slowly shined out from behind the clouds and slowly shined over both of them. Twilight soon snapped out of her trance once heard her other self scream as she fired a dark magical beam at her and she simultaneously yelled back at her, as he pointed the front of her palm directly at her evil twin. A loud bang then went off as the blasts collided, and cracks between them, marking the point where the beams met

Evil Twilight's dark purple jet of light met Twilight's magenta beam and they struggled to overpower the other until finally the both canceled each other out and the shocked both of them off their feet and rolling backwards.

Both girls then sat up and glared at each other, panting as they tried to catch their breaths. Just by looking at each other, they could tell what the other was thinking at that very moment. It was like they could read each other's thoughts simple through an exchange of magical blasts. Eventually they both stood up straight.

"It's time to end this!" Demon Twilight declared, as she created a ball dark magic, that was crackling with electricity and colored dark purple, in her clawed hand.

"I couldn't agree more!" Princess Twilight added, as she created a sphere of magenta colored magic energy of her own in her own hand.

Just then the others all began to regain consciousness and groaned as they stood up to see that both Twilight's were about to clash again.

"TWILIGHT!" They all cried.

Both of the two fighters stared at each other, their eyes full of rage. There was a short pause before they both began to fly towards each other. They soon got closer and closer towards each other until finally they leaned back and prepared their final attacks while the two Alicorn's made out of energy that they created appeared behind them once again. The world went silent as they, and their alicorn avatars, lunged forward and screamed as they collided.

There was a loud explosion once their attacks hit each other. The bright light caused everyone to shield their eyes and shockwave rushing towards them all as the two attacks continued to clash and exert massive amounts of energy that was the color of each of their magical auras. The magenta energy exerted from Pony Twilight's magic and the dark purple energy from Human Twilight's dark magic then began to swirl around them until it created a large black sphere of magical energy that encased them both and floated high in the air above them.

Inside the sphere, the two Twilight's faced each other inside a sparkling white void with shooting stars all around. They both stared at each other with understanding and sad looks, though the corrupted Twilight was slightly more angry then her other self but still empathetic.

"You know Twilight… had the circumstances been different… our roles could have been reversed." Princess Twilight told her other self. "I used to care only about science, magic and studying and didn't give a second thought about friendship. I kept pushing everyone away… and if I had continued… I'd be all alone. Plus… if I had discovered the possibility of other worlds with other Twilight's… I'd think be threatened to, and create some kind of evil plan to get rid of them all."

"I almost gave into horrible and lonely place. I used to think I didn't have any bonds with anyone. But then…" she continued on. "I met my friends… and they… and they saved me from myself. _They_ showed me how important friendship really is. We may be different version of each other, but we had such similar burdens. Pretty ironic if you ask me, anyway I'm sorry you never got that chance, _no one_ should have to suffer that much. _No one_ should have to be alone like that. But you're hurting the people around you, people who are trying to _help_ you. But we can end it all right now, you and I, you just need to stop all this madness here and now."

"I _need_ to? You really _are _me. Like I said; I know _exactly_ what I have to do." Demon Twilight stated. Her alternate self looked down sadly, disappointed by her counterpart.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Author's Note: This chapter uses bits of inspiration and references from various forms of media that I like, admire and honor but I do not own them. This is not for profit, it is merely for fun. No flames please and thank you.<strong>**

********Song played during the fight: Narcissistic Cannibal by Korn.********


	13. Round 3

**Chapter 13**

The void soon faded around them as the black sphere around them turned green, sent bolts of purple lightning crashing down into the ground before dissipating and their clash ended when both Twilight's jabbed each other in the gut and the shockwave caused them both to be sent flying. While Good Twilight managed to land back on her feet, the Evil Twilight rolled across the ground until she landed on her face. Princess Twilight then stood up.

"How was that…? Feel a little better now, me?" Princess Twilight asked. Evil Twilight growled and raised her head as she sat up.

"You think you've beaten me?" Demon Twilight panted as she slowly stood up. "Think again, fake!"

"You've _lost_ Twilight, there's nothing more you can now." Princess Twilight told her. "Now let us help you."

"No! You can't do this to me! I have the power! No one's _ever_ gonna hurt me again!" Demon Twilight snapped as she slowly flew back up. "I'm better, and stronger _alone_! And I'm gonna _prove _it!"

Evil Twilight then turned to the Equestria counterpart of her beloved dog and smiled wickedly, Spike gulped while the good Twilight's widen as soon as she realized what she plans to do.

"Spike run!" Twilight yelled. Spike then began to do just that but Demon Twilight got back up, flew over and scooped him up before anyone could do anything.

"Twilight! Twilight put him down!" Princess Twilight yelled as she flew after her evil self.

"Twilight!" Everyone else yelled as they began to run after the two.

"Everyone stay here, I'll deal with her!" Equestria Twilight said before she flew off.

* * *

><p>The two Twilight's flew and circled the whole school, but no matter how hard she tried her evil self was still ahead of the young Princess of Friendship. Eventually they flew up to the roof where Princess Twilight stood on while the other Twilight flew above with her hands still around Spike's little neck.<p>

"Twilight! Please! Don't hurt him!" Princess Twilight begged her alternate self, who just sneered at her.

"Twilight…" Spike tried to say to the human version of Twilight.

"Twilight is _dead_!" Demon Twilight growled at him.

"Twilight! Listen! I told you; this is between_ you_ and _me_! So let him go right now!" Princess Twilight called out.

Her evil human self smiled a twisted smile as she looked down. "Very poor choice of words you know…" she said before suddenly releasing her grip on Spike's neck and letting him fall, laughing as he screamed. Everyone gasped.

"NO!" Twilight screamed as she flew upward after him. She soon caught him in mid-air, held him tight and the two of them rolled down through the window of the school and landed on the top floor of the school library with Twilight doing her best to shield him from harm. They soon crash land on the ground, with Twilight breaking his fall and feeling the most pain.

Twilight groaned and looked at Spike. "You ok?" she asked. Spike nodded shaken. "Ok, good…"

Spike then spotted something above them. "Look out!" he cried.

Twilight looked up and saw another ball of dark magic heading their way, she quickly rolled out of the way but the explosion created when it hit, nearly caused Spike to fall off the edge of the second floor. But Twilight quickly grabbed his paw.

"I got you Spike, I'm gonna put you down right here." Twilight said as she levitated Spike onto the top of a statue of a Pony head. Spike looked up and watched the fight between the two Twilight's resume, now indoors. The indoor fight negated the height advantage of the two fliers, while Spike's safety kept distracting Twilight. While she still had a clear advantage in magical combat skills, Evil Twilight kept unleashing new and surprising attacks on her. It was constant re-leveling of the playing field, as both sides exploited the other's disadvantage while they both kept attacking each other while flying around back and forth in the library.

Princess Twilight then grabbed her corrupted human self from behind and wrapped her legs around her. The demon Twilight then flew back, slamming her into a wall before the Princess of Friendship kicked her back then flew around and snap kicked her into a bookshelf that fell over, causing some books to get knocked off and fall towards Spike.

"Whoa!" Spike cried as he jumped off the statue and out of the way of the falling books. "Boy… who says books never hurt anybody?"

Twilight then landed near him. "Spike, you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Now look out!" The dog cried. Twilight turned around and noticed that her evil, alternate self had just recovered and landed near them.

"You know something? You're not just a fake… your also a good for nothing clone of _me_. And I really, really, _hate_ clones!" Evil Twilight exclaimed, yelling as she charged toward Twilight before she started to fly and in the process tackle Twilight out the doors of the library.

"Twilight!" Spike yelled, alarmed.

Twilight and her alternate self then began flying, and spinning, down the hallways together, with the Evil Twilight holding onto her other self tightly and smiling and evil smile.

* * *

><p>The two Twilight's then came flying right through the front doors of the school, to where everybody else could see them. Once they landed near the statue, the evil Twilight tried to pin her alternate self by placing all four of her limbs on her own legs and arms. Princess Twilight tried to push her away with her right hand but Demon Twilight grabbed it and pushed it back. The good Twilight then head-butted her which then caused her to release her grip on her right wrist. She just roared and put her hands around her throat, squeezing hard, while Princess Twilight took a the pink bow around her neck and used both her free hands to wrap it around her alternate self's neck and pulled hard as she attempted to suffocate her human half, who began to choke. Everyone gasped and watched helplessly as the two Twilight's tried to strangle the other. Good Twilight gasped and gagged as her evil self's grip on her throat tightened, choking her even further while the Evil Twilight's face slowly began to turn red from asphyxiation.<p>

"Somebody do something!" Pinkie Pie cried.

Spike then rushed forward and right past them. "Twilight!" he yelled.

"Spike, no!" The girls yelled, trying and failing to stop him as he dashed over to the two Twilight's. Demon Twilight saw him, removed her hand from Princess Twilight's throat and used it to smack him away, he skidded and rolled across the ground, unconscious.

"Spike!" Twilight screamed, alarmed before finally kicking her evil human self back into the edge of the statue, seemingly knocking her out. She then got up and rushed over to him. "Spike! Spike, are you alright? Please… speak to me!"

Demon Twilight's eyes suddenly snapped right open and slowly stood back up like a possessed doll, which creeped everybody out.

"That's… IT! I'M THROUGH PLAYING AROUND!" she screamed, her voice more demonic than ever.

"Twilight…" Sunset began.

"NO SUNSET SHIMMER! THE TIME FOR TALKING IS OVER!" The other Twilight yelled as she slowly rose up, while her hair stood up on end and almost looked like it was on fire as her eyes glowed brightly "_NOW _IT'S TIME FOR _FUN_!"

Just then a certain black car with a special symbol on the front quickly pulled up near the school and blue-haired, guitar playing young man stepped out of it.

"TWILIGHT!" Flash yelled, as he ran over. Everyone turned to him and gasped in shock.

"Flash!?" Sunset Shimmer exclaimed, shocked.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Applejack asked, confused.

"I said I was going to help and I _am_." Flash stated, firmly. "I don't care if I don't have magic, I couldn't just sit by and watch… not this time."

"Yeah? How can _you_ help?" Adagio questioned him.

"Just let me talk to Twilight, maybe I can reach her or something." Flash said.

"We've tried! I think she's gone Flash!" Rainbow told him.

"Then we try again!" Flash declared.

"Well, you're welcome to it." Adagio offered.

"Not that it'll do you any good…" Aria scoffed.

"Good luck!" Sonata and Pinkie both waved as Flash stepped forward.

"Twilight, stop this right now! This isn't you Twilight! This is… this not you!" Flash yelled out. "Look at what you're doing! You're hurting Spike! Your better than this, Twilight! And… and that's what I like about you…"

Demon Twilight looked stunned by this then became angry. "Why you! Don't act like you know me! You don't! Now it's time to finish you all!"

The corrupted Twilight then held up her palm and created a small dark purple sphere of pure dark magic surrounded by a series of white rings that orbit the main sphere. These rings then aligned into one disc-like shape around the orb, causing the rings to resemble planetary rings. Everyone's eyes widened as she pulled back and prepared to launch it at them. There was a long and intense moment of silence as all of them stared up at the other Twilight in horror while they awaited their ultimate destruction. But before she could attack them, the light reflected off of Flash's pendant distracted her and caused her to look at the unconscious Spike. And when she did, something snapped inside of her.

"S-Spike…?" Evil Twilight stuttered, staring at the creature that resembled her beloved dog, now unconscious thanks to her. She then ceased her attack and held her chest tightly. "No! Can't make me… can't… you hurt him! Get… get out… get out! GET OUT!"

The other Twilight then looked up towards the heavens as she reverted to normal and the dark magical energy poured out of her hands, eyes, nose and mouth and went straight up the sky, much to everyone's amazement.

"Ooh! Sparkly!" Pinkie commented.

"Yeah… so magical…" Sonata breathed.

Once it was all out, Human Twilight dropped to the ground and rushed over to the Equestrian Spike, along with her other self, who had just got up.

"Spike! Spike are you ok?" Native Twilight asked, worried.

"Say something!" Her Equestrian Counterpart added.

Equestria Spike groaned a bit and slowly opened his eyes to see the two Twilight's standing over him, he looked wide eyed.

"Oh man… I must have hit my head really hard… because I'm seeing _double_…" he said, bewildered. Everyone else just laughed at this.

"You sure you're ok?" Princess Twilight asked.

"Yeah… just a little dizzy…" Spike said, getting up.

They all smiled, happy that he was alright, then surprised when they heard something barking. Everyone turned and were stunned to see Spike's alternate self barking and running over.

"Spike!" Human Twilight cried, teary eyed as her little pup barked and ran into her arms where she embraced him and nuzzled him affectionately. "Oh, I'm so sorry this happened… I'm glad it's over…"

"Oh… not yet it isn't."

Everyone turned around in shock and saw all the dark magic that was expelled from Twilight get sucked into the Dazzlings, which made their eyes glow bright red. They smiled.

"_Now_ it begins!" Adagio declared.

Much to everyone's shock the Dazzlings bodies glowed as they flew up into the air before coming together and becoming a ball of bright red light that shined over all of them before slowly taking on a solid form. When the light finally faded the Dazzlings were back in their Siren forms only now they were fused together and resembled a three-headed hydra like creature, with the right half being purple due to having Aria's head, the left half being blue due to having Sonata's head and the middle part was golden due to being Adagio's head. They all roared and let out a sonic wave while everyone watched them stunned and horrified.

"You fools! _This_ was our plan right from the beginning and you fell for it!" Adagio's head said. "The deal is off! Nothing can stop us now!"

Everyone's faces became serious but not at all surprised, they then turned to Twilight.

"I'm on it." Twilight nodded, as she took out a book and snapped her fingers which somehow caused all the dark magic the Dazzlings absorbed to be sucked inside it, transforming them back to normal. They all dropped to the ground but soon got back up, looking very confused.

"Ugh… what just happened?" Adagio asked, genuinely shocked. "Where's our power? What did you do!?"

"Nothing, we just sealed away all your dark magic into the book I use to communicate with Twilight in Equestria." Sunset Shimmer explained.

"Just a little something I added in case you decided to misuse the magic I gave you." Twilight told them.

"That's right! And now..." Rainbow Dash smiled as he socked them so hard that they each fell to the ground like dominos, completely unconscious. "Boy that sure felt good!"

"Way to go Twilight! You stopped 'em!" Applejack congratulated.

"Thanks Applejack, but it was really Sunset Shimmer who figured out their plan and told me what to do, which I relayed to all of you." Twilight admitted.

"Really?" Rarity asked, surprised as they all turned to her.

Sunset blushed a bit and rubbed the back of her head. "Oh… it was nothing…"

"How'd you manage to figure out their plan so easily?" Fluttershy asked Sunset.

"To be honest… it's what _I _would have done if _I _were still evil." Sunset confessed. Everyone then gave her odd looks. "Probably wouldn't have worked though."

"Yeah. Not if _we_ had anything to say about it." Rainbow smirked. The others gave her a stern glare. "What?"

They all then turned their attention to Twilight's counterpart who was still on her knees and currently crying her eyes out. Twilight slowly approached her.

"Twilight…" The Princess mused.

"Destroy me… do it… I don't deserve…" Human Twilight began, sadly as tears fell down her face.

"No. That's never the answer. You think it's been hard for _you_. Sunset Shimmer here had to go through so much to get people to trust her again and like you she didn't know _anything_ about friendship… but thankfully she's learning." Equestria Twilight said, smiling at Sunset Shimmer who smiled bac. "You can make up for your mistakes Twilight and learn from them. I know you can. After all… _I'm you_. "

Twilight looked stunned by this and remembered everything Sunset told her in a flash.

"You really _do_ think friendship gives people hope… don't you?" The other Twilight asked Sunset.

"I _know_ that it does, and it's all thanks to Princess Twilight here, she's the greatest friend I've ever had…" Sunset said, smiling at the Princess, who smiled back.

"Aw!" The others said.

"Though ever since we became friends, I keep getting this residual urge to _waste_ you." Sunset admitted to Twilight with a smirk.

"Sometimes I can tell." Twilight shrugged, smiling amused.

"But if I had gone through with it, I never would have become friends with all of _them_." The fiery haired girl continued, gesturing to the Rainboom's. "And _then_ wouldn't I look like a total creep."

"No more than usual." Rainbow smirked. The others gave her a look. "Only kidding."

"She knows Rainbow." Twilight assured her.

"See? Twilight's like a sister to me… even when I don't deserve it." Sunset Shimmer told the other Twilight, who lowered her head shamefully as tears began to fall.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… for all the bad things that I did…" Human Twilight cried. "I just… I just wanted to be noticed! To have friends just like everyone else! Just like _you_!"

"You still _can_ you just have to give friendship a chance." Twilight said. "It's not something you can just figure out, it's much more special than that."

"Yeah… that's starting to become clear now…" Human Twilight admitted, sadly.

"Listen, _neither _of us is a fake. We're both _me_… our lives just took different turns. And I'm sorry you've had such a rough time." Princess Twilight told her. "But everything's gonna be ok."

Human Twilight finally stood back up. "But… if I can't explain what happened at Canterlot High School… no one will respect me… what am I supposed to do from now on!?" she asked, teary eyed.

"That's easy." Princess Twilight Sparkle said, before suddenly hugging her. "You just got to be _me_. Since you _are_ me, after all."

Human Twilight looked very surprised by this gesture of affection and friendship, it seemed that this was her first real hug. Her arms shook a bit behind Twilight's back before they finally wrapped around her and then squeezed her tight.

"Thank you…" Human Twilight whispered. They eventually released each other from their embrace.

"And don't worry, I know things may be bad now but I just _know_ you'll get passed them, and make things right again." Princess Twilight told her.

"Why would ever believe in me?" Human Twilight asked her alternate self.

Princess Twilight smiled. "Because I know you, and like Sunset Shimmer here I know you're capable of great change. You don't have to be defined by your past, you can choose a different future. Trust me."

Human Twilight nodded with a smile before the girls suddenly hugged her, surprising her before she accepted and joined in the group hug along with Spike and Flash as well. To the young heroes, it seemed that the crisis was finally over and done. However…

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Author's Note: This chapter uses bits of inspiration and references from various forms of media that I like, admire and honor but I do not own them. Plus I got permission from writer Mane64ever to use parts of his story in this. This is not for profit, it is merely for fun. No flames please and thank you.<strong>**

****Song played during the battle; The God-Slaying Sword from Xenonblade Chronicles****


	14. The Final Chapter

**Chapter 14**

The happy moment soon ended when a particular thought entered Princess Twilight's mind. A thought that made her eyes widen and filled her with dread and worry, she could tell that Sunset Shimmer was thinking the exact same thing as she was and they shared a look of concern.

"There's still one problem…" Princess Twilight finally said, grimly.

"What _now_?" Rainbow Dash asked, tiredly. "We got rid of the dark magic inside the other you, defeated the Dazzlings _and_ saved all reality. What's left?"

"The portal." Both Twilight and Sunset Shimmer said, solemnly.

"The portal?" They all asked.

"Yes. Are we _really_ gonna leave it open all the time?" Sunset Shimmer asked them.

"Well… no, I would imagine Twilight would close it once she returns to Equestria, correct?" Rarity inquired.

"Yes, but during the time I'm here it's always open…" Twilight pointed out.

"And because of that, _anyone_ could enter it." Sunset added

"She's right, if _I_ could figure out that all the weird stuff happening in the city was because of _this portal_… who knows who else could discover it." Twilight's Human self said, concerned.

"Oh yeah… and anybody could fall into it if they lean against it wrong!" Applejack realized.

"And if the Police find a way through the portal…" Fluttershy began.

"They'll call the government…" Rainbow began.

"Or the Marines or the _navy_!" Pinkie cried, dramatically. "Oh… not the navy…"

"Then Equestria is _doomed_!" Sunset finished.

"Wait, hold on a second, we don't know _exactly_ what could happen if we leave it open. Maybe it'll be fine." Applejack said, hopefully.

"What if it's not?" The Princess asked, sadly. Applejack sighed.

"It sounds pretty risky of you to leave it open like that…" Human Twilight pointed out.

"It is." Sunset nodded.

"And we can't have someone else close it on our side without having some way of contacting them, and the only thing that _can_ is powering the portal on our side." Equestria Spike added. "Remove it and the portal closes."

"Then it looks like we only got one choice then." Princess Twilight stated.

"Yeah, what's that?" Applejack inquired.

"Destroy it," she answered. They're eyes all widen when they hear this being said.

"What!?" They all said, sounding absolutely shocked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Hold on a second, I'm sorry, did you just say 'destroy the portal'?" Rainbow Dash questioned, incredulously.

"Yes, it's the only way to keep anyone dangerous from entering it." Princess Twilight reasoned.

"But… but then we'd never see you again!" Fluttershy cried.

Princess Twilight lowered her head, sadly. "I know… but it's the only choice we have."

"It can't be!" Rarity protested.

"Yeah! I want to see you again! We're besties!" Pinkie added, tears flowing down her face. "I mean… aren't we?"

Twilight nodded, beginning to cry also. "We are… and I'll miss you all so much, but it _has_ to be this way," she told them.

"Twilight's right, we have to destroy that portal _now_!" Sunset Shimmer agreed. "It's only way to keep our worlds safe!"

"But… but if you stay here and we destroy the portal, you'd be_ stranded_ here!" Applejack pointed out.

"I don't care, it's better than having everypony in Equestria suffer!" Sunset Shimmer stated, firmly. "Please!"

The five girls all exchanged heartbroken glances, they all hated the idea considerably, but deep down they knew that it was the right thing to do and it tore them up inside. Eventually they came to a decision.

"Ok… fine… we'll… destroy the portal once you leave…" Rainbow said, trying hard not to cry and failing.

"Thank you." Princess Twilight expressed.

"So… you're really leaving again?" Flash asked, hurt as he stepped forward.

Twilight nodded, another tear slowly fell. "Yes… and I fear it may be for good this time…"

"No! You are _not_ leaving me this time." Flash stated, firmly. "You just got back."

"I'm sorry… I don't want to… but it has to be this way, in order to protect my world… and yours also." Princess Twilight said.

"But Twilight…" Flash began.

"Oh, you really are _great guy_ Flash, I'll always think of you as… a friend." Princess Twilight said.

"Sure thing, Twilight." Flash nodded, his face then lowered sadly. "Course, I always thought that… you know…"

Twilight smiled, understandingly. "I'm looking for someone too, but they say long distance relationships never work out.

"Yeah…" Flash agreed while Rarity and Pinkie cried in the background.

"Besides…" Twilight began as she turned to her counterpart, who was shyly hiding behind the others. "I won't be _totally_ gone and I trust that you'll take care of her."

"For you? Anything." Flash stated as he smiled at Human Twilight who smiled, blushed and twirled her hair when she noticed him staring at her.

"Then this is how we say goodbye." Princess Twilight said before she cupped his face and pulled him into a kiss, much to his surprise, but he quickly accepted it.

The others turned away a bit and giggled, while also having sad smiles on their faces. Rainbow on the other hand looked grossed out.

"Ok, it was a nice moment… but why'd they have to do _that_?" she asked, disgusted.

Twilight ended the kiss and turned to her. "Goodbye kiss," she explained, simply.

Alternate Twilight lowered her head looking depressed, saw how sweet their moment was and began to think. Then it hit her.

"Maybe there's another way." Human Twilight suggested, stepping forward slowly. Everyone turned to her, surprised.

"What do you mean by 'another way'?" Equestria Twilight questioned, confused.

"I have an idea." Her human self told her. "And I'll need your help."

Princess Twilight raised a brow.

* * *

><p>Later on, the others waited outside near the statue while the two Twilight's worked inside the school. They saw multiple flashes of light and the sound of various power tools coming from inside the building.<p>

"Shouldn't we… help them?" Fluttershy asked.

"I… _think_ they have it under control…" Sunset said, before a small explosion went off inside, startling them. They all looked at her. "I did say 'I think', right?"

"I just hope they find a way to make sure we can still see Twilight again." Rainbow Dash stated.

"So do I, sugarcube." Applejack told her as she and Rainbow shared a sad look. Just then they noticed the two Twilight walking out side-by-side together, with one carrying a strange device in her hand.

"Ah, there they are!" Rarity announced as they rushed over to them.

"So, what did ya come up with?" Flash asked them, expectedly.

"Did you find another way?" Fluttershy added.

"Well… it wasn't easy…" Princess Twilight admitted.

"But when we put our heads together we managed to come up with the solution to our problem!" Human Twilight stated. "Check it out."

Equestria Twilight held out a rectangular black and gray device with several little buttons and a pad near the top.

"Uh… what's that?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused.

"It's special scanner for the portal." Equestria Twilight said.

"A scanner?" Sunset inquired, surprised.

"Yes, it was built by me and is powered by some of the magic used by my twin here." Native Twilight said.

"And… it'll keep anyone else from discovering the portal?" Fluttershy questioned

"That's correct. We just need a good way to conceal it." The other Twilight stated.

"Allow me." Princess Twilight said, stepping forward towards the statue.

She then placed the scanner on the side of where the portal was then blasts a little bit of magic at it and suddenly a section of rock pulled the scanner into the statue before closing up. Her human self then pressed her hand on it and the scanner popped out before sliding back in.

"There, now only the eleven of us know where his hidden panel is." Human Twilight said, satisfied.

"So… you two came up with that by fusing together Princess Twilight's magic with the other Twilight's machine?" Sunset asked.

"Yep! The perfect combination of magic and science." The Human Twilight declared, pleased. "I call it… technosorcery."

"Ooh! Nice name!" Pinkie commented.

"Thanks…" Twilight said, blushing embarrassed.

"So… how does it work?" Applejack inquired.

"Simple, it reads the genetic code of the one who touches it and searches for trace amounts of magic in them, if the person has an exact DNA and magical match then the scanner will activate and open the portal for them and close it upon leaving, get it?" Human Twilight asked. But everyone just stared at her confused.

"Uh… come again?" Spike asked.

"She means, with this scanner and by using the magic within us only _we_ can open and close the portal as well as allow others to go through, that way no one else can follow us through it, since it'll close when we enter." Princess Twilight explained. "And to go back, you'll have to ask _me_."

"Oh!" Everyone said, understandingly.

"Now, no unsuspecting somebody will fall through it if they lean against it, because they'll be blocked thanks to the magical scanner thing." Applejack said, pleased.

"That's correct!" Human Twilight confirmed.

"Not bad Twilight, thanks." Sunset expressed. Both Twilight's looked at each other confused. "Uh… both of you. But… this might get a little bit old… How about we just call the Twilight from Equestria 'Princess Twilight' when your both together?"

"Sounds good." Princess Twilight nodded.

"Yes. Way less confusing." The other Twilight agreed.

"By the way… thank you for doing this." Princess Twilight expressed, happily. "It means so much."

"Well it's the least I can do after all the trouble I caused…" Alternate Twilight admitted.

"You weren't yourself." Her Equestrian counterpart reminded her.

"Sunset Shimmer said the dark magic that infected me magnified all my deepest and darkest feelings… and drove me insane…" Human Twilight muttered.

"And you drove it out of you, your all better now." Princess Twilight reminded her.

"Yeah, but still… no one was controlling me… I was acting all on my own, I let the darkness take over… and it's still there. I can _feel_ it." The human Twilight said, depressed.

"There is a darkness inside of all of us, but thankfully you and I both have good friends to help us keep the darkness back." Twilight Sparkle smiled.

Native Twilight looked back and saw the smiling faces of the other Rainboom's. "Yeah… your right… _we_ do," she said. "But I still don't know much about friendship… at all."

Sunset put her arm around her and gestured to the others. "I'll bet _we_ could teach you."

"Really?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah, and you know something… you actually look kinda prettier without your glasses." Sunset Shimmer admitted to Alternate Twilight.

She twirled her hair a bit, blushing embarrassed. "You really think so?"

"I _know_ so." Flash agreed, smiling at her fondly, which made her blush even more.

"Hey! Now that we've saved the world again… you want this calls for?" Pinkie asked, excited.

"Oh boy…" Rainbow Dash said.

"Wait for it…" Applejack began.

"A PARTY!" Pinkie cheered.

"There it is." Applejack nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, party time!" Pinkie said, excitedly.

"A party to celebrate this would be nice." Rarity admitted.

"And of course you're invited too Flash, and you as well other Twilight." Fluttershy added.

"Hey, thanks!" Flash said, gratefully.

"Wow I've… never been to a party before…" Human Twilight admitted.

Pinkie put her arm around her. "Then today's your lucky day! Ooh! We're gonna have so much fun! We'll have music… do some dancing…"

"We'll need some snacks too!" Rarity added.

"Ooh! This party is going to be wild!" Pinkie Pie squealed. Equestria Twilight smiled at the scene, then remembered something, her eyes widen.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Be right back!" Princess Twilight said before she went through the portal.

As they began to wait for Twilight return's most of the Rainboom's began planning their celebratory party, the two Spikes played and chased each other while the Human Version of Twilight watched the girls in the background. Sunset Shimmer then appeared right next to her.

"Twilight… _this_ is what you _really_ wanted, isn't it?" Sunset guessed.

Twilight gazed at the five, happy girls ahead smiled a sad smile. "Yes… your right… this _is_ what I wanted… I wanted the chance to have friends like these," she admitted.

"And now you can… if you're interested." Sunset Shimmer smiled.

Human Twilight paused for a moment and then smiled, brightly. "Yes… I think I am."

"Glad to hear it." Sunset Shimmer said as she put an arm around her. "Because now you do."

Human Twilight smiled at this before she and the others noticed her Equestria counterpart coming back out of the portal.

"I'm back! Now there's one thing I'd like to show you all before I go." Equestria Twilight told them as she slowly walked backwards towards the portal. "Since I've met my own alternate self… it's only fair that all of you do as well."

Twilight stepped away from the portal while the others gazed at it expectedly before suddenly five more girls stepped through it, they were surprised to see that they looked just like them, aside from the pony ears, tails and wings that they get thanks to their magical powers.

"Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash meet… Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash" Princess Twilight Sparkle said.

Both groups smiled as they walked forward and began to laugh and greet each other while also shaking hands with their respective counterparts, and spent the rest of the night quickly forming bonds that would last till the end of time itself.

* * *

><p>Following the battle between the two Twilight\s and the eventual arrest of the Dazzlings for assaulting two police officers, Princess Twilight, their pony counterparts and Spike went home and the girls continued to prepare for their graduation. Time passed and soon enough the big day arrived. Outside, everyone was seated in front of a large stage, each wearing their cap and gown and eagerly waiting to throw it into the air and celebrate their newfound freedom, course some were also very nervous and scared for what might come for them. Near the front were the Rainboom's themselves, all on the edge of their seats, while Flash sat behind them.<p>

"Well, gals… this is it… graduation." Applejack declared.

"Ooh! I'm so excited! I'm _so_ excited!" Rarity exclaimed, happily.

"I'm so scared…" Fluttershy whimpered. "So, very, very, very scared."

"Your nervicited!" Pinkie Pie sang.

"You do realize that's not a real word right?" Applejack inquired.

"Who cares? It's our big day! Let's enjoy it and listen to Sunset's big speech ok?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"You sure are eager to hear it." Flash remarked.

"Yeah, the sooner we hear it… the sooner we can leave." Rainbow said. The others shook their heads and rolled their eyes, amused.

"Ooh! Here comes Principal Celestia!" Rarity whispered, gesturing to the stage where they saw their very own Principal walk onto the stage, flanked by her sister Luna, she then stood before the crowd and then spoke.

"Hello everyone and welcome to this year's Graduation Ceremony!" Principal Celestia said. The crowd cheered loudly. "I can honestly say that I am very proud of each and every one of you for making it to this point. You have each proven that you are ready for the next stage of your lives and ready to fulfill your individual destinies. And now for our Valedictorian, who will give this year's graduation speech… Sunset Shimmer!"

The crowd cheered as Sunset Shimmer appeared, wearing her own cap and gown and walked onto the stage, looking very nervous and frankly scared out of her mind. Her friends smiled when they saw her coming.

"Come on Sunset Shimmer, you can do this… you can do this…" Sunset muttered to herself, trying to shake off her nerves.

"Knock 'em dead, Sunset Shimmer!" She heard Rainbow Dash call out.

"We believe in you!" Applejack added.

"Go, Sunset, go!" Pinkie Pie cheered.

"Go for it!" Flash yelled.

Comforted by their support and cheering, Sunset smiled, stepped in front of podium after Celestia stepped away from it and cleared her throat before speaking.

"Uh… hello everyone, it's been a long while since I came to this school. I know I wasn't exactly the nicest person in the world… in fact I was the biggest bully ever. 'A raging she-demon' as I like to call it. I wanted to control everything and everyone, believing that I was the greatest and that I deserved it… but I couldn't possibly have been more wrong… that was just me being full of myself. For a long while it seemed that there was no hope for redemption for me…" Sunset Shimmer said, before closing her eyes and pausing. Everyone looked at her attentively and sympathetically, waiting for her next words. Then she opened her eyes and spoke. "But then… a special girl from… 'out of town' stood up to me, and eventually she saved me. She helped me see that there was a better way, that friendship… is the most important thing in the world. Thanks to her I managed to make some great friends…"

Sunset Shimmer glanced at her five friends in the crowd, as well as her ex-boyfriend and smiled at them, and they smiled right back.

"I kept at it and didn't give up, and good things happened. Of course, there are still going to be hard times ahead, for me and every one of us. So I urge you to believe in the magic of friendship, hold onto the hope that it gives you, because if you try to do everything by yourself or quit because things don't go your way… then hope will truly be lost," she continued. "Believe me, if a person like _me_ can overcome all these hardships and survive the dark times… then I believe that all of you can do the same! Believe in yourself, believe in your friends! If you can do that, you can survive anything. And even if your separated from your friends… as long as you keep our bonds alive, your friendship will endure and in time… you'll see them again."

Tears started to flow down each of the Rainboom's faces, touched by Sunset's words, even Rainbow Dash was beginning to cry, though she did her best to hide it.

"The Athletes, The Dramas, The Eco-kids, The Fashioniesta's, The Techies, the Rockers and the Comedians are _finished_, from now there is only… Wondercolts! And remember everyone, once a Wondercolt… _always_ a Wondercolt, for this place is not just a school… it's also our _home_. We may all be leaving today… but someday, just maybe, we'll return once again." Sunset Shimmer expressed. "I had a great four years with you all… and I'll miss you very much. Until we meet again… thank you."

The crowd then began to stand up, clap and cheer as loud as they can. Some even chanted Sunset Shimmer's name and cried tears of joy, surprising Sunset. Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna also clapped and smiled.

The Rainboom's gazed around them and saw how much the looks on the faces of their fellow graduates had changed and began to smile as well.

"Would you look at that, everyone looks so inspired." Applejack remarked, amazed.

"Yeah… how about that?" Rainbow added.

"Seems that after recent events _everyone_ is starting appreciate the bonds that they have with each other a little more now." Rarity observed, smiling.

"They sure are!" Pinkie agreed. "And it's all thanks to Sunset!"

"Darn right." Rainbow Dash nodded.

"Way to go Sunset Shimmer." Fluttershy voiced, proudly.

"Yeah, knew you had it in you." Flash whispered, just as proud..

Principal Celestia then walked forward. "Well done Sunset Shimmer, that was a very moving speech."

"Thank you, Principal Celestia." Sunset Shimmer said, gratefully. "That means a lot to me."

Principal Celestia and Sunset Shimmer shook hands with friendly smiles on their faces before the former school bully walked off the stage and sat down next to her friends and the Principal stood before the crowd.

"Everyone, please rise," she said as they all stood up. "Please move your tassels from right to left."

They all did so, the excitement and suspense in the air was almost overwhelming for all of them as they waited for Principal Celestia to say the magic words.

"Congratulations Canterlot High School Graduates!" she declared.

They all cheered loudly and promptly threw their caps into the air. The Rainboom's all gathered together for a group hug as they yelled and laughed, they even allowed Flash to join in while everyone danced and cheered around them.

After the ceremony the girls, and Flash walked back towards the entrance of the school with their arms around each other's shoulders and eventually stopped in front of the statue.

"Ooh! I can't believe we're now finally high school graduates!" Pinkie Pie squealed.

"I don't think _any_ of us can." Applejack admitted.

"And now… we finally get to pursue our own dreams…" Fluttershy said, smiling.

"Yeah… and you know I'm really gonna miss you guys." Sunset Shimmer told them.

"Aw, we'll miss you too!" Pinkie Pie said.

"Exactly and if you need _anything_ darling, we'll be there." Rarity promised her.

"I know. But after this whole thing I know now that true friendship isn't about being inseparable, it's being separated, and nothing changes." Sunset said.

"See? You are learning a thing or two about friendship." Applejack smiled.

The six girls then came together for a group hug, which Flash smiled at before he remembered something.

"Hey, where's Twilight?" Flash wondered. They then noticed the alternate version of the Princess wasn't there.

"Hmm, she said she was going to be here after the ceremony was over." Sunset noted.

"So where could she be?" Rainbow wondered. They all shrugged and looked confused as well as unsure. Then Pinkie spotted something up ahead of them; it was the Human Version of Twilight wandering around looking lost.

"Applejack! I found her, I found her, I found her, I found her, I found her!" Pinkie Pie sang. They all turned and see her.

"There she is!" Applejack said, pleased. "Right on time."

"Then what are we waiting for? Call her over!" Rainbow said. "We need everyone here, after all… she's our friend. Now and _forever_."

"On it! Twilight Sparkle! Over here!" Pinkie waved, happily as everyone smiled at their lost looking friend.

The Human Version of Twilight smiled thankfully at her new group of friends, and then began to giggle and laugh as she raced over to join them. Having now finally gotten what she's always wanted, this Twilight was as happy as the rest of them.

And so it seemed that everything worked out for the best. The city was being rebuilt, the Dazzlings were imprisoned… again, Princess Twilight learned how to let certain things go and to accept her dark half, Sunset Shimmer learned that even though they are separating as long as they keep their bonds with each other strong they'll _always_ be together and Human Twilight learned the true meaning of friendship and so… she was never alone.

_**Fin**_


End file.
